


Festive Frolics

by RositaLG



Series: Christmas Phrack [5]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Bathroom Sex, Boat Sex, Car Sex, Christmas Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Kitchen Sex, Light Bondage, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Reunion Sex, Shameless Smut, festive fucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:15:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 29,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21568246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RositaLG/pseuds/RositaLG
Summary: The 25 Days of Smut are back with 25 different locations for Jack and Phryne to, er, make merry.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Series: Christmas Phrack [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/686313
Comments: 188
Kudos: 218





	1. Garden Shed

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my 8th annual Christmas Smutathon! This year's theme is locations. I asked for some help from Tumblr and they came through for me with some great phracking ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In our first installment, Geenee27 asked for a location right under Aunt P’s nose, perhaps the fernery. Little did she know that this chapter was already written and was the impetus for the whole theme this year! Her amazing (and slightly psychic skills) make this the perfect fic to be the first post of Christmas. Enjoy!

Phryne emerged around the corner of the garden and paused.

Jack was leaning on a mallet, looking smug, surrounded by the Stanley croquet set spread across the lawn. 

The silent joke didn't need to be explained as she made her way over to him.

“I still refuse to get married and have four children,” she said as she grabbed the outstretched mallet offered to her and lined up with the ball. 

“Mm. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” he mentioned, causing her to miss her swing. 

“Excuse me?” She turned around to stare at him. 

His eyes were smiling, proud to have gotten under her skin. 

“Well, palms are tricky things to read, Miss Fisher.” He stepped up to hit his own ball. “And the way I see it, if someone was looking at yours, they might misunderstand what they were seeing.” He played with a confidence that suddenly reminded her of their waltz at the Grand and she realized that he knew something that she didn’t. 

“And what is that?”

“If your palm showed a successful partnership by day and a shared bed by night with say… a handsome man in a fedora,” she rolled her eyes at his example, “without any context, one could interpret that as marrying well, could they not?” He argued. 

“I wouldn’t presume to know.” She hit her ball squarely this time, her competitive streak flaring. 

“And while you’ve done more than your fair share of care-taking, by my count, there are precisely four names that rise to the top of your list: Janey, Jane, Dot, and Hugh.” 

“You raised Hugh more than I did,” she argued as he hit his ball. 

“Palm readers don’t know that.” 

“So you’re saying?”

“I’m merely suggesting that the fates might have been closer than you realized as a wild young woman roaming the planet.” 

“And the only thing left was to engage me in a game of croquet, is that it?” 

“I preferred the trifecta, yes.” 

“And now that you’ve constructed a case to fit your argument, what are you going to do next?” She stepped closer to him, a silent challenge to his authority on the topic. 

“I’m open to suggestions,” he murmured, practically licking his lips. 

She didn’t say a word, simply flashed him a silent challenge to come after her as she walked past him and down the lawn. Once they were out of view of the main house, she backed him up against the door of a shed with a dramatic thud.

Jack raised his eyebrow in mock-surprise, as if he hadn’t gone willingly to the scene of the crime. 

“I want to make one thing perfectly clear, Inspector,” she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “I may have been domesticated but I will never be tamed,” she warned as she opened the door behind him and he went stumbling backwards into the darkness. 

A frustrated growl was all that she heard as he stepped forward to pin her against the very same door that she had just closed. His hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her.

“Do you enjoy behaving this badly with everyone you meet or am I the exception?” He asked.

She pulled her dress over her head, confirming the fact that undergarments weren’t possible with the back of her sundress.

“Weren’t you just arguing for the defense?” She reminded him innocently. 

“The two aren’t mutually exclusive,” he argued as he began to undress himself. 

There was a crate beside her that was the perfect level to rest her foot on and it spread her open for him. She teased herself with her fingers as his body was slowly unveiled before her in the sun-striped room. She watched in fascination as parts of him fell into shadow while others were haloed in light. She slipped a finger inside herself, arching her neck as her nipples pebbled with arousal. She felt Jack’s eyes on her and she let out a small whimper of pleasure as he began to stroke himself as well. 

When he finally stepped forward, it was to wrap his hand around her wrist, bringing it up to his mouth to suck her fingers clean. The erotic action made her thighs slick with desire and her scent joined the fragrance of warm wood, dust, and Jack that surrounded her. 

Jack guided his cock along her wet folds before slowly penetrating her body in a teasing move that made her moan with need. 

“That sound can’t possibly be legal,” he groaned into her neck before scraping his teeth along her skin.

“You can arrest me later,” she uttered breathlessly before kissing him back to attention. 

She had no intention of ignoring the benefits that their seclusion afforded them. Her incoherent cries only seemed to encourage Jack as he fucked her with the singular goal of getting them both off as quickly as possible. He broke them with an intensity that had her seeing stars and when she opened her eyes, he didn’t look any more composed. Phryne nuzzled against him as she held him close, peppering kisses over his jaw and chin as he caught his breath. 

When he could manage it, he kissed her his appreciation before letting her feet hit the ground, bringing them back into the real world. 

He used his undershirt to clean her off and they tried their best to put themselves back together but she knew that they looked beyond repair. She looked down at his watch and clucked. 

“How are we going to explain this at dinner?” She chuckled as she pushed his sweaty curls back against his forehead, only to watch them spring back to life undeterred. 

“I don’t think that we need to.” He looked out the window at the house looming in the distance. “We’re closer to the car anyway.” 

Phryne’s eyes widened with delight as she realized what he was suggesting.

“Jack Robinson, I have been a terrible influence on you,” she grinned with glee.

“I’ll phone once we get home to let them know that we were called away on an urgent case,” he excused as he gallantly held open the shed door for her.

“You know, if I _were_ going to marry someone, you would definitely be in the running,” she informed him as she passed by. 

Jack stared straight ahead, considering her statement before nodding minutely, accepting the faint praise for what it was. 


	2. Luna Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladysparre chose Luna Park.

“Your surprise is right up here.” 

“Is it fairy floss and hot dogs?” Jack asked, taking in the remnants on the pavement.

“Jack! You promised!” Phryne whined.

“I’m not looking up,” he defended. It didn’t take a detective to know that a short walk down the shore brought them to Luna Park. But what sort of surprise could lay at a closed amusement park was beyond him. 

“Wait, just a moment.” She left him staring at his shoes until the sound of a lever being pulled triggered a flash of light and music. 

He looked up just as the carousel began to spin. He shook his head, fighting the urge to laugh. He’d never admit it, but he loved it when her romantic overtures were tinted with a hint of mischief. 

“I told you that I remembered our first date,” she announced as she stepped up onto the ride. “No cases to hide behind, no household staff chaperoning us, no wives standing in the way,” she wove her way against the horses to stay in his line of sight. “Just you and me and the Scenic Railway,” she beamed, arms outstretched, letting the ride finally take her around the bend and behind the center mirror.

Unwilling to be left behind, Jack reached up and grabbed the nearest passing pole, stepping up on the platform. 

“Do I want to know how you managed this?” He called out over the music.

“Perfectly legal channels. Mostly,” she bragged from across the ride. 

He started slowly making his way towards her, but she walked away, drawing out her teasing just a bit more. When she was completely out of sight, he turned around and walked towards her in the opposite direction, hoping to catch her. 

She laughed as she realized his trick, peeking around the corner of the center mirrors to see him coming towards her. She reached for the nearest pole, letting him know that she wasn’t going to be running anymore but that it was up to him to make the next move. 

Jack tightened his grip on the pole beside him, stretching his arm out and leaning forward casually. He watched as she did the same. They were very nearly rubbing noses with each other but somehow still out of reach. 

He closed the distance, holding her head in his hands as they shared a slow, lingering kiss that woke up every nerve ending he had. He smiled as she nudged his nose with the tip of hers affectionately, claiming victory over the stalemate. 

She took his hand and led him to the chariot bench beside them, sitting them both in it. 

Jack took the opportunity to watch the flickering golden light of the carousel dance across her hazy blue irises and he couldn’t believe his luck.

“You are so beautiful that it hurts to look at you,” he whispered, dragging his fingertips along her jaw and over her lips. 

“Oh,” she frowned, unhappy with his assessment. She moved over top of him and he settled into the back of the bench. “Tell me where it hurts and I’ll kiss it better,” she offered, her eyes never leaving his. 

He didn’t give her the chance, pulling her down for a kiss that he had absolutely no intention of ending. He drowned himself in the sweet taste of her, her silky hair sliding through his fingers as he held her still. 

A small mewl at the back of her throat was all that it took to tell him what she wanted. He made quick work of removing her lingerie and opening his trousers, the skirt of her dress covering their indiscretions, and as her pliant body sank over him, he had the fleeting thought that any possible discovery would be well worth the trouble. They moved together, slow and close, until they were both silently shuddering into one another’s necks. 

A few soft kisses ended the affair and Jack was beginning to redress when a voice cut through the night. 

“Oi! What’re you doin’ in there!” A drunken man called out from the other side of the fence. “Middle of the night, ain’t it? Some of us are trying to bloody sleep!” 

Phryne’s initial instinct was to snort, burying her face in the curve of his neck. 

Jack sighed, obviously on his own, and reached for his badge. 

“Routine safety inspection,” he lied, holding up his badge from the distance. “Almost done.” 

It seemed good enough to appease the drunk, despite their precarious position. 

They reassembled themselves as best they could and Phryne snuck off to shut down the carousel, plunging them back into the quiet darkness again. 

Jack joined her on the pavement. She hooked her arm around his elbow, keeping him close and he kissed her temple.

“Thank you for the surprise,” he murmured, feeling ridiculously content as they headed towards the front gate. 

“Jack, is this...is this what I think it is?" She asked him, coming to a stop.

He smiled at the question. 

"Are you asking if I'm in love with you?" He tilted his head curiously.

"No, I'm asking if you could ever see yourself _not_ in love with me."

Jack's command of the moment disappeared as the seriousness of her question sank into his bones. She was the last person in the world that he expected to be talking about a lifetime commitment but he would never disregard such a serious question, especially when she wanted the truth. 

"Phryne, no matter what happens between us, love will never be the issue," he promised. It was all that he could guarantee but he knew that it was true. It had been there before and it would be there after. 

She nodded, agreeing. 

He watched her face, wanting to know what she was thinking but she simply tucked her head back onto his shoulder and let him lead her home.


	3. Elevator

The tension in the hotel elevator was stifling in the summer heat. Her worried fretting as she tapped at the base of her neck was the only sound to combat his stony silence. He hadn’t been himself all day and the uncomfortable glances and shifting beside her was starting to wear on her. What had she done, she wondered, that had him so unsettled that he couldn’t even look at her?

“That’s it.” Jack finally reached over and pulled the emergency break on the elevator, stopping it between floors. He spun her against the door and stared into her eyes, his own black as night. 

"Jack," she gasped as she realized what he wanted.

He placed one hand behind her neck while the other crept between the slit of her white skirt to cup her outer thigh. When she made no protest, he raised her leg slowly around his hip, bringing them impossibly close before kissing her. 

Her entire body reacted, screaming for more attention as her fingers wove through his hair, keeping his hot mouth on hers.

She could feel his arousal pressing into her through his trousers and she inhaled sharply when he thrust experimentally against her. She reached up to help him push his suit coat off the back of his shoulders but he took a step back. 

“Don’t move,” he commanded, expertly rolling his shirt sleeve up to his elbow. Without asking permission, he brought his hand up between her thighs, massaging the silk there.

“Oh god.” She let her head fall back against the metal bars in pure ecstasy. She glanced down to take in the view as the split in her dress slid up around her waist. Jack’s forearm was flexing as his hand moved over her and her head fell with a thunk against the door of the elevator again, unable to withstand the sight. 

“Don’t stop.” She pressed her lips together, feeling the effects of his touch already. Her body was pulling tight, desperately wanting to snap.

His fingers slipped inside of her lacy lingerie and he tugged, pulling them off her and letting them fall to the floor. 

One finger crooked inside her, and then two, and her body tightened again, wanting him to stay there, doing that, forever. 

Jack’s mouth sucked on the curve of her neck where her own finger had been tapping just moments before and she moaned, her body aching to feel the suction elsewhere as his fingers burned her from the inside out. 

Her hands clutched the wrought iron above her head as she desperately twisted under his ministrations and she felt his smirk against her jaw as he came up to give her ear lobe the same treatment, murmuring unspeakably filthy encouragements between tugs of his teeth on the soft flesh. 

When she didn’t think she could stand it another second, he finally focused his attention on her clitoris, moving over her rapidly. She combusted, crying out as she shook frantically with release, the most sinful pleasure rolling through her from head to toe for what seemed like minutes.

“Goddamn it, Jack,” she murmured as she watched him remove his fingers only to clean them with his mouth. "What was that?"

“That’s what I wanted to do to you the last time you wore tennis whites," he informed her. 

The memory struck a chord and she spread her legs.

"Well then, you'd better finish the fantasy," she commanded, raising her skirt around her waist and wantonly revealing her dripping core to him. 

He was inside her before she could smirk at his desperate reaction. He fucked her hard and came fast, neither one caring in the least if she came again. 

When he peeled his sweaty body off of her, they were both flushed and the entire elevator shaft smelled of sex. They were both wrecked and there was no hiding their activities to anyone waiting to get on the trapped elevator. The territorial, possessive side of her wanted everyone to know that Jack had just fucked her senseless in an elevator but she also knew that this hotel was small and there was a very real chance someone from the staff would be waiting on the other side of the door to find out what the delay had been.

"How would you like to play this, if we find someone up there?" She pointed to the top of the elevator.

He thought about it for a moment before looking down at her feet. 

"You've sprained your ankle, and obviously, the elevator is faulty," he wrapped an arm around her waist as if he had been holding her up from the grounds to their room. 

She grinned at his quick thinking. 

"Don't look so pleased, they'll think you enjoyed ruining your afternoon,” he coached.

"Right," she focused, schooling her features into something more pained. "We'll probably need to stay in our room for the rest of the weekend," she posited under her breath. 

"Damn shame," he agreed dryly as he released the elevator brake.


	4. Police Motorcar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aurora_Australis and Firesign23 wanted some “police business” in the police motorcar.

"Drive me home?" Phryne requested softly.

Jack glanced at his car and nodded. Time was slipping by so quickly now and his heart began to pound as he realized that this could be the last time that he was in her company. He tried to take in the night air, the stars that were falling for her beauty, and the waft of perfume that met his nose as he opened the car door for her.

"It was a beautiful ceremony," she began as they drove quietly through the dark. 

"Yes," he agreed. "One would never know that it was pulled together at the last minute." 

"They didn't need to do that but I am grateful that they did," she confessed.

Jack smiled to himself. She had no idea how important it was that she was there for the young couple. They would have held off the wedding until judgment day if it meant that she could be there. 

"Speaking of last minute plans, do you have everything you need for tomorrow?" He asked. 

"Yes." She looked down at her hands. "I do."

Jack nodded but kept silent on the matter. 

Phryne held the silence until he parked, their pressed time finally moving her to speak.

"You know, I'm trying very hard not to take it personally that you haven't inquired about my return flight." She gave him a sly smile but it didn’t fool him: it never reached her eyes. 

He was impressed by the question. Of all the risks she took in her life, vulnerability wasn't one of them and he knew the level of courage she needed to even broach the subject. It was the sign that he needed to spur his own courage into action. 

He fought the smile threatening to appear on his own lips by casually reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a receipt. 

“I thought that we might sort that out together.” He handed the paper to her and watched her face fall as she realized what she was holding.

"Jack..." Her voice wavered as she read it again.

"An improved upon romantic overture, per your request," he smirked slightly. "But don't worry, the ship doesn't leave until next week, so you'll still get your head start…"

She cut him off with a kiss but he didn't object; after all, it was her turn to do so. He felt her fingers sneak up to steal his hat off of his head so that she could pull him even closer. 

When she did end the kiss, she pulled away just enough to check his expression, which he was certain looked too smug for his own good.

"Come inside," she murmured against his lips. 

"You have to fly to England tomorrow," he teased, pretending to be sensible.

"I wasn't talking about the house," she whispered seductively before moving past him to slip into the back seat of the police car.

Jack froze long enough to contemplate every sin that she promised before stepping out of the car. 

She propped herself up on her elbows, looking thoroughly confused, until he opened the back door and made a meal over raking his eyes over her. 

Her smile was worth the trick as she sat up, making room for him. He slid into the backseat, shutting the door quietly behind him.

With a crook of his fingers, he beckoned her (and all the trouble that she brought with her) towards him and she slipped over his lap, her gold dress raising to her hips. He pulled the entire thing over her head, taking her slip with it and tossed them on the seat beside them.

“Jesus, Phryne,” he murmured in amazement and she smirked as she undid his tie. He vaguely heard it hit the steering wheel behind her before she started in on his buttons of his shirt. She yanked open his clothes desperately, wanting to see his chest. She ground against him a bit harder as she ran her nails down his chest, teasing his nipples and his cock at the same time.

"Nearly there," he promised against her lips as he reached between them to start on his trousers. 

“Oh,” she gasped in surprise against his neck as his knuckles brushed against her clit and this time it was his turn to smirk. She was close and he hadn’t even touched her yet. 

He cupped her breast, bringing it to his mouth and playing softly with it against his tongue and teeth. His fingers tweaked the other, not wanting it to feel neglected. 

“Jack,” she sighed, weaving a hand through the back of his head encouragingly. “Jack, your clothes,” she tried to get them back on track, but he finally had her naked and damn if he was concerned with his own attire.

“Shh,” he shushed her as his hand slipped between her thighs. He was going to take his time worshipping her and she would have to cope.

“Damn it,” she wavered and her fingers clenched tighter in his hair as her body arched forward. 

Jack watched with intense interest as she bit her lip and picked up speed. She rode his fingers, grinding against his hand, until he curved them just so and she began to moan. She dripped down his wrist as he pressed harder against her walls. 

“Oh, Jack, oh God...” she moaned as her hips became frantic. “Yes, yes, yes,” she muttered to herself. With one last grind, she let out a cry as her muscles clamped sharply around his fingers. 

He slowed his fingers as she loosened her grip on his hair and he leaned forward to kiss her glistening shoulder.

“There you go,” he murmured as she came down from her high and opened her eyes again.

She chuckled in disbelief before exhaling sharply. 

“Only you, looking like that, could distract me so easily,” she revealed and Jack felt his ego and his erection grow in response. She pushed his open clothes off his shoulders, freeing him from the waist up and immediately set to work on his trousers. 

When he was finally naked, she wasted no time in stroking his erection and Jack groaned with the loss of her leaving his lap. 

"Nearly there," she teased him. She lowered her head over his straining cock and wet it with her tongue before sucking lightly.

"Oh fuck," Jack groaned as a fluttering began in his spine immediately. He felt her grin in response. "This is going to be quick," he warned her as his hands found her shoulders, desperate for something to clutch. Her slow, wet pulls were interspersed with her tongue tracing his veins and it kept him just this side of crazy as he squirmed underneath her. 

“Come inside,” she reminded him before sucking harder, not giving him any relief until he came with a tight burst of pleasure down her throat. 

He fell back against the car door panting as he came to his senses. The steam on the windows finally registered and he chuckled.

"Yes?" She questioned as she moved over top of him. 

“I knew you’d end up in the back of this police car eventually,” he smirked.

“In handcuffs or lingerie?” She inquired, looking naturally curious.

“I was willing to be surprised," he smiled. 

She looked as if she had something to say again and he was curious what could have her biting her lip after they had just done unspeakable things in a state motorcar. 

"Yes?" He asked.

"Do you want to... spend the night?" 

He had to admit, he was surprised by the question. 

"If you can't, or don't want to…"

"Yes, I want to," he cut off her concerned rambling, "but we should get dressed first, don't you think?"

She ran a hand over his bare chest.

"I don’t know. I rather like you undressed," she revealed. 

"You’ll get to see it all again," he promised as he slipped his arm back into his shirt.

When he looked up again, she was smiling like it was Christmas morning.

"I will," she realized out loud. "You're coming to England." 

He smiled and tilted his head back, giving her permission to come in for another kiss. She took it, bouncing over him to kiss him happily. 

"Mm, careful or we'll never make it inside," he warned and she pressed her lips together, wanting that more than she wanted to kiss him.

OOOOO

When Jack awoke, the sun was only beginning to rise. The grey light filtered through her curtains. Phryne was curled up in a naked ball beside him, only the back of her head visible above the blankets.

He let the events of the night before replay in his mind as he watched her sleep. He’d waited a lifetime to get into her bed, and now that he was here, she was about to fly halfway across the world. But something had settled within him in the last few weeks and where there once had been fear and wariness, there was only confident understanding. 

He loved her.

And she knew that and still wanted him by her side.

And with that knowledge, there was no need for fear any more. 

He slipped slowly out of bed and got dressed quietly. Her safety relied on her getting as much rest as possible and he wasn't about to wake her before the first leg of her perilous journey.

As he put on his watch, he calculated that he had enough time to go home and get ready for the day before she left the airfield so he fought the urge to kiss her goodbye and tiptoed down the steps and out to his car. 

“Slinking away before breakfast, Jack?”

He froze on the pavement before turning around and looking up to find the elder Fisher casually leaning over the balcony, nursing a cocktail and taking in the sunrise. It was the second time her father had caught him sneaking out the next morning.

"Baron," he greeted reluctantly, willing himself not to turn red. "Going home to pack, actually. It appears that I will be joining you in England."

The Baron's knowing smile was one that Jack already recognized. 

"Good man," he raised his drink in approval. 

Jack raised his hand as he turned around and headed towards the motorcar, exhaling sharply in relief.


	5. Scotland Yard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scruggzi wanted someplace totally inappropriate and what is more inappropriate than in someone else's police station?

"Pardon me, everyone!" An authoritative man in a blue suit commanded the attention of everyone in the ballroom. "Forgive us for interrupting, but I am going to need everyone to please line the hall. We have an ongoing investigation that requires us to clear the room. We should be done quite shortly and you can all get back to your Christmas festivities. Thank you very much."

Phryne set down her drink and frowned. She could see no reason to search the near empty room.

"Excuse me, Inspector." Phryne tapped the man on his shoulder as he herded the crowd into the hall. "I couldn’t help but notice you were shorthanded for such a large crowd of people. I am a private detective myself so if I can assist in any way, please let me know." She handed the man her card and she watched him read it a few times before looking up at her again. 

"Thank you for the offer, Miss Fisher but a full investigation isn't in order at this time. We'll take it from here."

She nodded, expecting that response. She made it three steps before he spoke again. 

"And you'll find that Scotland Yard's security is quite tighter than City South's so if you would be so kind as to stay with the rest of the group please." He gestured towards the other guests leaving through the left door.

Phryne turned around and stared at the man, wondering how he could possibly know that bit of information.

"My reputation must have proceeded me. You clearly have me at a disadvantage, Inspector...?” She waited for his name while she eyed him suspiciously. 

"Spencer. Thomas Spencer." He held out his hand to shake hers. "And yes, I most certainly do." He turned to give his constable some sort of order, ignoring her. It was a power move. And she fell for it. 

"Inspector, before you go, do you mind explaining how you knew that?"

He casually turned his attention back to her.

"About two years ago, I received a letter from an old army mate in Melbourne who was very nearly blown to bits by a woman matching your description."

She looked down to school her countenance. Just the thought of his cross face scowling in disapproval at her old antics seared her soul like a hot iron.

"Jack," she spoke his name out loud and the iron plunged deeper into her heart.

"Mm. And after years of reading all of the ways this woman had tried to kill him, physically and emotionally, I received one warning me that our paths were about to cross. ‘Finds trouble like a moth to flame’, I believe he put it.”

“Never intentionally,” she defended, crossing her arms, “well, almost never.” 

“Honestly, I thought he was exaggerating but now I see that he was simply being gentlemanly.” Thomas smirked. “It is an honor to finally meet the woman who has given our man such a run for his money.” 

“Funnily enough, he never mentioned you.” 

“And give up the element of surprise?” Thomas posed, his eyebrow raised as if she should know better.

Of course, she did know better, so she relented. 

“Since you are a friend of Jack’s, I’ll make you an offer. If I stand over here and pretend to be an obedient witness, will you at least give me a clue as to why you are raiding this particular party?” She asked.

“That depends on how obedient you are,” he said honestly, not budging. 

She took one step back, clasped her hands in front of her where they could be seen and waited silently. 

Thomas disappeared back into the ballroom and went about his work.

Phryne could see why he and Jack got along but she still couldn’t figure out why he was here in the first place. Nothing seemed to be missing, the guests all seemed properly shocked at the interruption, and no one had died. 

When he and his constables were done, he tipped his hat towards the man of the house and headed for the front door. 

Phryne very nearly shouted after him to wait, until she realized that he was still testing her. 

“Come along then, Miss Fisher,” he called from the doorstep without looking back and Phryne didn’t need to be told twice, doubling her speed to catch him. 

OOOOO

“I don’t understand. All of that trouble for some missing property?” Phryne frowned. 

“Extremely valuable missing property. Surely you know how it works, Miss Fisher? Strings are pulled. Christmas parties are invaded,” Thomas said as he sat down at his desk, gesturing at the chair across from him. 

“The evidence has arrived, sir,” a constable announced hesitantly, clearly afraid of interrupting his boss. 

“Ah, good. Bring it in.” Thomas ordered and the constable disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. 

Phryne heard footsteps and turned to see what could have caused so much commotion and when she did, her heart stopped.

Jack Robinson stood there, setting a case down on the floor as if he had always been expected.

“Inspector Robinson, welcome to England,” Thomas greeted him. 

Phryne watched on as the two men greeted each other but no sound registered. A side glance from Jack reminded her that she probably looked as gobsmacked as she felt and she tried to calm herself down but couldn't seem to manage it.

“I believe this missing property belongs to you, Miss Fisher?” Thomas asked, begging her attention from Jack.

“I’ll certainly sign for it,” she agreed but didn’t take her eyes off of him. He was staring at her with those sparkling eyes and that knowing smile and nothing in the world would draw her gaze away from him.

He was here.

In England. 

For her.

Thomas gave Jack a pat on his shoulder as he left the room, wanting to give them some privacy. 

The door had barely closed before Phryne threw her arms around him. She inhaled deeply, her body waking up from its months' long slumber as it remembered every piece of him.

“Hello,” he smiled at the innocent reception. 

“You actually came after me,” she stated.

“I did." He was holding the back of her head in that way that told her he was about to kiss the daylights out of her.

She nudged him towards her, giving him permission and he took his fill of her.

“Wait," she pulled away as she finally came to her senses. "All of this: the missing trinket, the investigation, it was all a ruse?” 

“Well, I was meant to surprise you at the party but when my ship was delayed, Spence had to stall. He must have played you like a deck of cards to get you here. I heard you practically ran after him.” 

"I did not!" She folded her arms defensively.

"Mmhm," Jack looked unconvinced and this time, she kissed him, hoping to distract him into forgetting that he was right. The kissing was going so well, in fact, that she wanted more.

"Jack," she murmured, wanting his attention. 

"Hmm?" 

She gave him a silent look.

"No." He shook his head as he removed her arms from around his neck. "Not here."

"I've always wanted you on top of a policeman’s desk," she confessed. 

"Half of London is outside that door."

"You'd prefer if it was Hugh Collins instead?"

He gave her a glare for the suggestion. 

"I've been fantasizing about having you in a police station for years. And now that we're in one that doesn't belong to you, and you're off-duty, and the door is locked..."

"The door is locked?" He looked over at it. 

"Inspector Spencer is very thorough," she grinned as she slowly pressed him down on the edge of the desk. "Do you remember that day that I fixed your tie for you?" She asked and watched as his eyes grew a shade darker.

"Phryne,"

"You were sitting just like this," she wrapped an arm around his shoulder as she climbed over top of him, covering his lap with her gown discreetly.

"You're going to get me arrested within an hour of stepping onto English soil," he protested but that didn't stop him from unbuttoning his trousers under the tulle.

"We're both fully clothed. No one can see anything," she reminded him and it turned them both on to listen to her describe the scene. "I can't even see anything. I can only feel you," she hummed. "And you feel so good." She stroked him with her core, grinding against him.

"Phryne," Jack hissed.

"Do you feel that?" She asked rhetorically. "How wet I am for you?"

"Yes," Jack groaned as his erection grew.

"Don't you want to be inside me?" Her hips toyed with him.

"You know I do," he reminded her.

"And you came all this way to get it," she encouraged. "So…"

He pulled her hips down over him, sheathing himself in her body and they both gasped.

Jack smiled and she looked down at him and touched his face.

"Better?"

"Close," he conditioned and she started to move over top of him. "Better," he whispered before kissing her.

There was no pretense in this reunion. It was short and sweet, but it took the edge off of their desires until they could properly rediscover each other. 

Once they were dressed again, Phryne helped him with his tie.

"Mine," she claimed as she tightened it.

"Quite right," he agreed. 

"Yours," she informed him, wanting him to know the truth. 

This caught him by surprise.

"Quite yours," she added seriously. 

He closed the distance between them slowly. When their noses touched, he paused, teasing her.

"Then maybe you should give me the head start for once," he challenged, pulling away and leaving her unkissed. He opened the door and strolled into the office fray without looking back.

Phryne simply grinned and gave him his well-earned lead. A woman of her distinction had no need for a head start anyway.


	6. Airport

Jack watched on as Phryne deftly handled the plane's maintenance, ordering the bewildered mechanic, who had clearly never seen a female pilot in his life, on how to take care of the plane in her absence. It was one of those moments when he remembered why he had labeled her a freight train when they first met. She tucked her license inside of her jacket as the man walked off in a daze and Jack chuckled to himself. 

"What?" Phryne asked as she realized that he was staring at her.

"Nothing," he smiled, keeping his secrets. 

“I know that smile, Jack Robinson,” she gave him a once-over. “You’re thinking about me.” 

“I’m always thinking about you,” he confessed as he pulled her closer by her hips. He kissed her sweetly and she smiled.

“You’re in a romantic mood today,” she commented. 

“Am I?" He murmured, admiring the curve of her hips underneath his hand.

“Yes,” she tugged at his tie. “At any moment, you’re going to start quoting poetry and sweep me right off my feet, I know it.” She bit her lip. “You don’t fight fair that way.”

“You are hardly innocent on that charge yourself, Miss Fisher,” Jack accused. “With your silk scarves and French perfume.”

“What about my perfume?” She arched an eyebrow and he knew that she was fishing for compliments.

Jack ran a hand across her lower back and she leaned closer into him. 

“So perfumed that the winds were love-sick with them,” Jack whispered before slowly pulling her silk scarf across the back of her neck and hoarding it in his coat pocket. He ran a finger along her newly exposed skin, admiring it before continuing. “As for her own person, it beggar’d all description,” he placed an open mouth kiss on her neck, tasting the soft flesh where she had applied the familiar scent that very morning and wanting more of it. 

“Jack,” she sighed, “we may be alone, but we’re still in public.” 

“I can fix that,” he whispered smugly before pulling her back behind a rather large stack of crates where they could have some privacy. She put her back up against the wall and grinned. 

“Close enough,” she smiled as she pulled him up against her by his tie.

His hands stayed busy, unbuttoning both of their trousers as she did her best to distract him with her lips. 

When they were both ready, she wrapped her legs around him, but beneath his trench coat. As he leaned forward, it provided a convenient cover as he began to thrust inside her with quick and steady rhythm that anyone would recognize as blind lust but for once in his life, he didn’t care. 

Their kisses were hot and messy as they dueled for control despite their own pleasure hindering their ability to focus. Sweat was rolling down his completely clothed body as Phryne panted desperately in his ear and clutched tighter to his back, wanting to feel him deeper. 

Jack’s nerves were fraying when Phryne finally broke with a sharp bite of her tongue to keep her from crying out. Her body pulsed around him and he groaned quietly in relief as he came in long, hot bursts against her thigh.

“Jack,” she purred in satisfaction as he slowly lowered her boots back to the floor, “you are full of surprises.” 

He reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and handed it to her before tucking himself back into his trousers. She cleaned herself up before tossing the handkerchief in the nearest bin and pulling her own trousers back into position. 

“We aren't going to fool anyone,” she warned, trying to fix his tie. 

“Fisher?” A voice echoed from the door of the hangar. 

“Yes?” She came out from hiding. 

“I’m here with your motorcar?” A man announced, standing in the doorway. 

“Thank you,” she smiled as she reached back for Jack’s hand.

“I hope you and Mr. Fisher have a good holiday, ma’am,” the mechanic smiled kindly as they passed by the office. 

“Oh, I’m sure we will,” she grinned as Jack rolled his eyes. “Won’t we, darling?” 

“Mm,” he said noncommittally as he opened the door to the cab for her. 


	7. Laundry Chute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firesign23 chose laundry chute and I was...daunted. But well, here we are. I did my best.

“Excuse me, Miss, but there’s a detective looking for you,” a member of the hotel staff said meekly, clearly overwhelmed by the request to find her. “He said it was urgent?" 

Phryne’s heart stopped beating, immediately assuming it was bad news but when she turned around, there stood Jack in a black suit, holding a glass of champagne in his hand.

His small smile was all that it took to tell her that he was here for good reasons. 

She exhaled sharply, excusing herself from the group and heading towards him. She nodded towards the hall, wanting to find a quiet corner where they could be alone and he stepped out of the ballroom.

“What are you doing here?!” She greeted from the other end of the corridor. 

“I thought it would be an interesting change of pace to surprise you for once,” he smiled as she walked up to him. “Hello,” he kissed her cheek briefly, careful not to smudge her makeup. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, so do you,” she took in his suit. “So everything’s alright?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.” 

“Good. You scared me half to death,” she confessed as she tugged on his lapels. “The boy just said that there was a detective here with an urgent message. I thought something might have happened to you.” 

“Something did. Reynolds wanted to switch weekend shifts and I got to leave two days earlier than I expected." 

“So you came all the way to Sydney because you thought that it would be an interesting change of pace," she restated.

“There might have been a few other reasons,” he added as he leaned in to kiss her. She let herself get lost in him, forgetting where she was for a moment.

“Mm, and what’s the verdict?” She asked, smirking against his lips. “Interesting enough?”

“I’ve no complaints,” he replied before kissing her again. His hands were just about to roam when someone called her name.

“Phryne?” 

“Damn,” Jack whispered as he furtively swiped at his mouth, trying to destroy the visible evidence of their romance before whoever it was came around the corner. 

“Quick, down here,” Phryne pushed him down the servant’s stairs to hide, not ready to give him up just yet.

“Where did she go?” The question echoed from the corridor above them as they ran down the dark steps. “Well, she couldn’t have gone far.” 

Jack opened the first room with a door, which happened to be the laundry. He turned on the light and shut the door quietly after her. 

She took him in: guilty, aroused, covered in her lipstick and looking all the more irresistible for it, she knew that she was about to make a terrible decision. 

“I think we’ll be safe here,” he looked around. 

“I don’t know about that,” she confessed with a sly smile as she closed the distance between them. 

“Oh, thank god,” he exhaled, meeting her with open arms. 

Her laugh became a moan as he set to work discovering what lay under her dress. His mouth left a hot trail down her decolletage as his hands slipped under her skirt to massage her behind encouragingly. 

Despite the onslaught, Phryne managed to unbutton the side of her dress, freeing her from the bodice and Jack lifted it off her body.

“Wait, slow down,” she scolded playfully as he nearly tore the lingerie off her body. 

“Can’t,” he panted, simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt and kicking off his trousers. “I need you, right now.” 

She laughed at his urgency as he hiked her up around his waist and carried her towards the nearest wall. She felt a hollow thump as her back hit something behind her: he’d pinned her against the door to the laundry chute. 

“Are you ready?” He asked as he ran the tip of his cock through her wet folds. 

She nodded and he wasted no time spearing himself inside her.

“Oh, yes,” he sighed, feeling impossibly close to her.

She clutched the wooden frame of the chute behind her with one hand and the back of his neck with the other and set her hips to a greedy pace, wanting him deep and fast. 

He steadied her with his hands, cupping her ass as he moved swiftly in and out of her, his lips finding hers now and again to steal kisses.

In no time at all, her entire body was tingling and shaking but he kept up the relentless pace until she fell over the edge with a shout.

Jack gingerly removed himself from her and lowered her feet to the ground. He spun her around and she smiled languidly as he stroked her thighs until she spread her legs for him. 

“Make it count, Inspector,” she provoked.

He pressed her down to a ninety-degree angle and she shivered at the sensation of his rough fingers along her spine.

He held her by the hips and hissed as he entered her, his cock unforgivingly aroused. He took her with the efficiency of a man on the edge and she loved listening to his murmurings behind her as she rubbed herself into a second, mind-melting orgasm. 

He came with a hoarse yell and she was certain any guests above them would be wondering what was happening beneath their floorboards as their cries echoed up the many shafts leading out of the room.

She turned around and pushed him backwards into a pile of linens behind him and she grinned, climbing over top of him. 

“Someone had a plan for these,” he panted as she kissed the sweat off his body, his rational mind coming back to him now that his lust had been slaked. 

“They’re going to be washed,” she assured him, continuing her work. “Hopefully not soon,” she glanced towards the door. 

“Speaking of which, I told the porter that my luggage belonged to you, so it’s currently residing in your room. Any chance you could take in a guest for the evening?” 

"My key is in my handbag," she looked around, "which is still upstairs," she winced. The last thing she wanted to do was be trapped at a party while Jack lay in her bed upstairs.

"Take your headstart," Jack allowed, knowing the action by heart by now.

"Five minutes?"

He nodded and she kissed him once more in gratitude before getting up to get dressed.

"And Miss Fisher?" Jack added, wanting her attention, which she turned around and gave to him. He gestured for her to come closer, a white handkerchief pulled from somewhere. He wiped the ruined lipstick from her mouth before moving to her neck, and down the center of her chest, the memory of his mouth transferring the red wax down her body making her shiver. 

"Thank you," she whispered. 

He nodded, his own eyes dark again and it took everything she had not to push him back into the pile and take him again. 

"Five minutes," he reminded her, wanting her back. 

"Room 2A. Knock twice," she instructed as she broke away from him, smiling all the way up the steps.


	8. Bedroom Floor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have been so stupidly nice to me over the last week that I haven't been able to catch up on reviews. It takes 3 months to write and then the 3 weeks go so fast! Please know that I read and fawn over each one individually.

Jack was sitting in bed, minding his own business, when Phryne appeared around the corner with a white towel tied around her petite body, fresh out of his bathtub.

The small chuckle of disbelief that burst out of him did not go unnoticed and she paused, tilted her head, and waited for his explanation. Her puzzled face only made him laugh harder as he scooted towards the edge of the bed and gestured for her to join him. 

Without a word, he reached out for her shoulder and lowered her to her knees.

"Jack, what are you...?"

He positioned her as precisely as he could recall before sitting back to examine his work.

“Turkish bathhouse," he explained as his reality melded with his memory. 

She stood up suddenly, in no mood to recreate the scene simply for his amusement. 

“I don't know why you'd find that memory funny. The way Bert tells it, you were perfectly content to let us die there.” She shot him a glare with no real malice behind it as she turned around to get dressed but he reached out and pulled her back by her fingertips and trapped her between his thighs. 

“I underestimated you,” he acknowledged with regret. "But I learned my lesson. And a few more for good measure,” he added as his hands cupped her hips and his thumbs caressed her pelvic bone that lay just beneath the fabric. “Still, I wondered what might lay under that towel,” he admitted as the knot over her breast bone called to him again.

“Maybe your thoughts were so incendiary that they burned down the building.” She turned the onus of the fire onto him. 

“It’s possible,” he allowed, mostly to get in her good graces and she smirked at the change of opinion. 

He took a chance and tugged slowly on the knot and let the towel fall behind her. She didn’t stop him as his hands found her lower back, pulling her in to kiss her torso in praise. 

She dug her fingers into his hair, her head falling back, luxuriating in the sensation. 

“You know, I think every interaction of ours is a variation of that first one,” she posited with a hazy hindsight as her fingers massaged his scalp. “Your stern face, my smirk at seeing it, and the air around us as dense as the steam that almost killed me. We should have known then that it would feel like this,” she sighed. 

“We did,” he hummed against her sternum. “That’s why we never let it happen,” he scraped his teeth over her ribs and she let out a short puff of laugh before tilting his head up to kiss him. 

Jack took advantage of the connection and slowly raised himself off the bed enough to move them both to the rug. He wrapped her limbs around him and rocked into her, never removing his mouth from hers. He swallowed her sigh as he filled her body and the sensation filled him with a strange sense of calm, despite his nerves being on fire. 

They both began to move in tandem, stoking the kind of pressure that she’d only just spoken of, until it grew too strong to be contained and they detonated together, trembling in each other's arms.

Jack kissed her forehead before rolling over onto his back and spreading his arms like Christ on the cross to let the cool air blow across his feverish skin.

Phryne turned onto her side to watch him, using his forearm as a pillow and he turned his head lazily towards her.

“What is it?” He asked, watching the wheels turning in her mind. 

She smiled softly.

“I underestimated you too,” she murmured, looking him in the eye. 

“Mm, I did warn you about that,” he smirked dryly as he turned his face back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.

“Yes, you did,” she kissed his bicep lovingly. “And you were right. You’re the most surprising man that I have ever met.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to lose interest,” he replied less than humbly. 

“Impossible.” She shifted beside him and he opened his eyes just in time to see her standing above him. “You’re more unpredictable than the lot of us put together,” she accused as she picked up her towel and snapped it at his feet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidenote: If you want to see a miracle, Lechatnoir1918 pulled a straight-up Mrs. Bolkonsky and saw the future of this fic. Yesterday, I went to see her latest drawing in her and aurora_australis's amazing fic: "Yes, and...". Her drawing was entitled "Chapter 16: Theatre" and I was like, "Hey, Frolics Chapter 16 is called Theatre too! That's fun!" And then I saw the image and started screaming because IT WAS THE EXACT SAME IMAGE that I have created in my "Chapter 16: Theatre" BUT HAVEN'T POSTED YET. I gave her a sneak peek to prove how insane it was and then she started screaming too. I've never witnessed anything like it, so go check out her awesome art and then join us here again on the 16th to stand in witness of said miracle and scream a little too.


	9. Closet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firesign23 chose the closet 

Phryne took another batch of clothes and handed them to Mr. Butler.

“I think that should do it,” Phryne tilted her head at the empty space. 

“I’ll make sure they get put in storage, Miss,” he said as he took them down the hall to pack them.

Jack watched him leave from the doorway and he looked curiously at Phryne.

“Moving out?” He questioned. 

“Just making room,” she gestured for him to step into the walk-in with her. 

“It’s not a new season,” he tried to work out what she was doing as he joined her in the small space. “And as far as I know, you haven’t been spending your days at Madame Fleuri’s or have any trips to Paris planned in your future,” he pondered out loud as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

“No,” she concurred, wanting him to solve the case. 

“So what could have the fashionable Miss Fisher cleaning out her closet?” He asked, both of them staring ahead at the blank spot on the rack. 

“An equally handsome man,” she answered as she stroked his arm, “who is starting to get bags under his eyes from waking up before the sun.” She turned around to examine his face. “I thought that he may want to keep at least a few reserves here, if only for emergencies.”

“Is this handsome man deserving of such a large amount of closet space?” He asked, looking behind her doubtfully at the amount of room that she had made for him.

“If he can't fill it, I’m going to do it for him and he’ll be stuck wearing whatever I buy him,” she revealed.

Jack nodded in understanding. 

“What do you think?” She raised her eyebrow, daring him to say no.

“I think you overestimated the size of my wardrobe,” he looked over her shoulder again.

“Then we’ll definitely need to go shopping before the week is out,” she smiled. “Care to try it out?” She asked as she stepped out of the closet to close the bedroom door.

“I don’t have any clothes to hang,” he frowned. 

“That’s not entirely true,” she pointed out with a meaningful glance towards his current attire. 

"Phryne…" he rolled his eyes as he realized why she had locked the bedroom door.

She returned to the closet, placing her hands under his suit coat and pushing it back off his shoulders. She hung it on a hanger. 

“The very first jacket to ever hang in my closet,” she declared as she hung it in the middle of the empty space. “But it looks lonely, don’t you think?” She asked for a second opinion. “Let's try the waistcoat,” she waved her fingers at him, wanting it as well.

Jack gave her a shake of his head as he began unbuttoning the vest, knowing full well that she couldn’t be denied. 

“Thank you,” she took it from him and hung it beside the jacket. He loosened his tie and she hung it on the same hanger. “Now to the shelf. Shoes.” She looked expectantly at him and he sighed, removing each one and performatively setting the pair on the shelf beside her heels. 

“Good. Now, you store your braces in the dresser, correct?” She asked as she made her way towards the built in dresser and opened the first drawer. 

“You gave me a drawer as well?” He looked impressed at her foresight as he unbuttoned his braces. 

“And don’t forget the trousers, Inspector.” She kept him on track as she folded the braces for him and put them away. He unbuttoned them and shoved them to the ground, stepping out of them and folding them neatly and hanging them himself. 

He bent over to undo his garters and she took the opportunity to stare at his posterior. 

“Are you going to let me get completely naked before you start undressing yourself?” He asked as he caught her staring. “What happened to female equality?” He inquired, a quirk of a smile on his lips when he turned around.

“Fair enough,” she relented, unable to argue. She removed her blouse and he waited a beat to watch before he began unbuttoning his own shirt.

It was damned Victorian of her but as his broad shoulders were revealed, she felt her stomach flutter in desire. They really were exquisite. 

When Jack was naked, he moved on to undressing her more quickly, removing her skirt and her camisole until she was left in her garters. He got on his knees and unclipped her stockings, slowly rolling the silk down her legs and carefully off each foot. 

“I love it when you do that,” she relished in the sensation.

He looked up at her with a filthy smile as his hands groped the back of her thighs, sending her nerves into complete chaos. With his face directly at the closure of her lacy tap pants, he removed them slowly, kissing her hip bones as they were revealed to him. 

She pushed him backwards slowly until he was on the floor and she was straddling him. She leaned forward, putting her breast in his mouth. He licked and sucked until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. 

“Give me your cunt,” he murmured, putting his feet flat on the ground to arch underneath her and bring her closer to his mouth. 

She turned over without a second thought and he wasted no time exploring her, his tongue plunging inside her as his hands held her hips still. She leaned forward, her hands on his knees for leverage until she was shouting through an intense orgasm that rippled through her without mercy. 

Once he had fucked her completely with his mouth, Jack sat up, wrapping his arms around her torso and kissing her bare shoulder.

“Alright?” He asked, running his hands over her stomach. She nodded and he guided her down over his erection.

She knew that he was close and wanted to draw out his pleasure just a bit more but he let out a frustrated growl when she tried to go slow.

“Phryne," he moaned, cupping her breasts in his hands. "Don't tease." 

"Are you sure?" She asked, nearly pausing all together.

"Phryne, please," he pleaded, on the edge of a nervous breakdown. "I'm so close, so close, fuck," In this position, he was completely at her mercy and they both knew it.

She relented, swishing her hips and squeezing tight, which sent him spiraling into nirvana. 

He held onto her for purchase as he emptied himself inside her. 

“Alright?” She asked behind her with a smile as he set his forehead down on her shoulder in exhaustion.

He groaned slightly, but loosened his grip on her just a little. 

"I think I am going to like having clothes in your closet," he panted.

"Our closet," she corrected, turning slightly to make sure he rephrased his statement.

"Our closet," he agreed.

She beamed and kissed him happily.


	10. Library

“You must be Phryne’s new friend. Jack, was it?” 

Jack turned to see a tall, thin man standing behind him investigating him like a crime scene. 

“Jack Robinson," he introduced himself, holding out his hand. 

“Robert Harrison,” the man took his hand and shook it slowly, still eyeing him. “But my close friends call me Robbie.” He pulled him just a bit closer by his hand and Jack suddenly got the impression that the man was interested in more than just his connection to Phryne. 

“Hands to yourself, Robbie Harrison." Phryne slapped Robert’s hands away from him. "This one’s taken.” She wrapped her arm around Jack’s possessively, laying her claim. 

Jack couldn’t help but look over at her in surprise. She couldn't possibly be jealous of another man, could she?

"You're usually the first in line to share your toys. What's so special about this one, I wonder?" Robbie asked, glancing toward his trousers.

That did it, Jack's face flushed and he cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“Don't mind him, Jack. He's just jealous because I told him that I preferred your piano playing to his,” she explained, rubbing his arm. 

“I’d love to hear it,” Robert smiled as he gestured towards the piano in the corner. 

“And put you to shame so publicly? Jack’s a gentleman, he’d never allow it,” she answered haughtily for him.

"I think she may be a bit biased," Jack offered politely, trying to ease the tension suddenly enveloping them. People were starting to stare. 

"Well, if you ever change your mind…" Robbie offered.

"Taken, Robert," Phryne repeated exasperatedly as the man finally walked away. "I swear, that man..." she pushed Jack into the hall, wanting him all to herself. "He has no boundaries whatsoever,” she muttered.

“Phryne,” Jack started as he tried to find his words for a conversation that he'd never planned to have. “Would you care to explain what just happened?”

“What do you mean?” Phryne bit her lip as she glanced over his shoulder, wanting to make sure they hadn't been followed. 

“Apparently, I’m...taken?” 

She started fidgeting almost immediately and it took all that Jack had to bite back a smirk at her nerves.

"Did I say that?” She played innocent.

“Twice.” The smile on his lips was getting harder to hide. “To another man, no less. You seemed quite concerned that he was a threat.”

Now it was her turn to blush. She turned the same color as her dress before walking away.

He followed her into the nearest room, which happened to be the library and watched her look around, unable to sit still with the thoughts lingering in her head. He leaned back against the shelves to watch her panic, his arms folded, completely amused by her inaction. 

“I confess, Miss Fisher, to not being certain what you meant. Who do I belong to precisely?” He asked, wanting to torture her just a little bit more.

“Yourself. You belong to yourself. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so possessive."

“Oh, I don’t know about that," he said and she stopped fidgeting at once and turned around to stare at him. "I quite like it when you’re possessive,” he confessed, standing up to meet her halfway across the room.

"You do?" 

“Mm,” he hummed, as he pulled her against him. "And you're avoiding my line of questioning. Who do I belong to, Miss Fisher?" He asked again, liking the warm weight of her body against his.

She looked at him uncertainly, but he had never-ending confidence in her and she saw in his eyes that it was safe to answer. 

"Me," she sighed, saying it under duress. 

"So you needn't worry, I have no intention of running off with Robbie Harrison or anyone else," he grinned against her jaw.

She huffed at his teasing and he kissed behind her ear. 

"What has gotten into you?" She asked as he kissed her neck. 

"I told you, I like it when you're possessive."

"How possessive?" 

He could see the wheels turning in her head and the warning bell that always accompanied them began to sound in his.

"I'm yours, Phryne," he doubled down on his statement, deciding that giving her confidence in their new relationship was worth whatever she may have in mind.

She didn't say a word as she began slowly undoing his tie and pulled it gently from his neck. He watched in interest as she took his hands and raised them above his head, the silk of his tie dangling between their wrists. Suddenly, he understood what was happening. He felt the blood rush to his groin at the concept. He'd never been out of control during a sexual encounter but apparently his body was amenable to the idea. 

She slid the rolling ladder behind him and pressed him backwards. He clasped his hands around the top rung of the ladder and she wrapped his tie around his wrists, tying him to it. 

He didn't move as she undid his trousers. 

"I didn't lock the door," she confessed, clearly testing him on how devoted he was to her.

"I don’t care." He couldn't be bothered by that idea when his brain was completely drained of blood. 

She seemed pleased by that answer as she wrapped her fingers around him and began to stroke. 

His hands clenched tighter around the rung as she knelt down before him. The anticipation was killing him as her mouth taunted him from a distance. He wanted to touch her, wanted to feel her hair in his hands but he was at her mercy and something about that worked for him. 

"Anyone could walk in," she reminded him as she continued to fist him. 

"That makes you wet, doesn't it?" He turned the tables on her and her eyes flashed. "You want the entire world to know that my body belongs to you and you alone," he taunted as his hips picked up speed, the dirty talk working on him as much as her. "You want to suck my cock into that sweet mouth until everyone can hear me screaming your name." 

She massaged him with both of her hands, teasing his testicles as she squeezed his shaft, pumping him harder and harder. She finally gave in and sucked the head of his cock into her mouth and he moaned as his body faltered under the pressure. 

"Only you could get me to do this, Phryne. Only you," he thrust deep into her mouth when she took him in again. 

She gave one long suck and he imploded, shooting hot streams of cum down her throat which she swallowed with ease. 

He felt himself go limp against his bondage. 

"Fuck," he sighed as he sat down on the ladder, his legs leaving him.

Phryne sat back on her heels and took him in, still tied and sitting on the ladder. Without a sound, she undressed until she was naked before him and laid down, wantonly spread her legs, revealing just how wet she was. 

"Jesus," he murmured as his tie bit into his wrists once again. He could smell her desire and her glistening, pink cunt was more than he could bear to ignore. 

"I'm yours too, Jack," she informed him. "Tell me what you want me to do."

Jack watched her carefully, knowing that she had probably never fully given up control to a partner before. She was usually in complete charge of her body at all times.

"Close your eyes," he commanded and it worked. "Touch yourself," he added and she gently placed her fingers on her clitoris, moaning at the relief. 

“Does it feel good?” He asked, wanting to know.

“Oh, yes.” 

"Slide the tip of your finger inside you, just like I do with my tongue," he instructed and she did, circling her inner rim slowly. 

Jack fought to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch every second of the act but feeling overwhelmed by the image she made before him.

"Fuck yourself," he granted her permission and her finger slid deeper inside her before another joined. Her right hand rubbed at her clitoris as the fingers of her left hand disappeared over and over again inside her.

"Yes, Phryne, just like that," he praised as he watched her work.

"Jack," she gasped as she began to climb. "Oh, Jack! Yes!" She moaned, imagining it was him touching her. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," she chanted before crying out as she climaxed with abandon.

He waited patiently as she gathered herself enough to sit up, and then again to stand. She came over and stood before him, kissing him sweetly as her hands undid the knot above them.

As soon as his hands were free, he wrapped them around her, holding her bare body against him as they kissed. 

"Hello again," he smiled when she finally pulled away. "That was…" he didn't have the words. 

"You liked it?" She looked pleased.

He nodded. 

"Then the next time, you can be the one to tie me to the ladder," she promised with a grin before kissing him again. 


	11. Hotel Room

"Phryne, where are we?” He asked as he pulled her short of the door.

“A hotel,” she pointed out the obvious as she gestured to the sign. 

“And?” He waited for the truth.

She shook her head back and forth, wavering on how to explain. 

“There may be a floor reserved for the more...illicit activities of London’s wealthiest,” she explained.

“It's a high-class brothel,” he restated.

“Nothing bought or sold. All consensual. Just… freedom to be yourself for an evening,” she phrased it more delicately. 

“And what are _we_ doing here?” He asked as they walked into the lobby. 

“Keeping our eyes and ears open for John Thompson, husband to Anne and a suspected philanderer.” She looked around at the bar crowd. 

Jack shifted uncomfortably back and forth. Back home, he made a habit of staying out of unsavory locations unless he was raiding them. 

“Relax. No one knows who you are here,” she reassured him. “Consider it a reconnaissance mission.”

"I'm on holiday," he reminded her. 

"Then perhaps you should start acting like it," she teased as she gave him a glass of champagne to hold.

As they peeked into the main ballroom, the group looked relatively unremarkable. Men and women drinking, dancing, and chatting. Phryne did a round of the floor and was unsuccessful. 

“I don't see him. He must be upstairs already. I’ll be right back,” she murmured before taking a step towards the elevator. 

“Phryne, wait,” Jack sighed reluctantly. “You shouldn't go up there without me. It will look suspicious.” His years of training overrode his temporary concern.

She smiled at him and took his arm.

"Oh, I've been wondering when exasperated Jack would appear," she confessed with glee. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the new Jack, but you've been far too cooperative on this trip."

"Spending every night with a beautiful woman has that effect on a man," he murmured.

"Oh, don't ruin it with compliments now. Come on, give me a scowl and tell me that I'm going to get someone killed," she requested. 

"Your actions don't get people killed so much as your mere presence in the vicinity," he reminded her as he helped her onto the elevator, which fell silent immediately at hearing his words.

When they arrived on the top floor, they spilled out of the elevator to find the floor was packed with people moving in and out of rooms freely. Doors to the suites were open and although they couldn't see the bedrooms, they could definitely see the parlors were set up as sort of foreplay waiting rooms. There seemed to be something for everyone and as they passed, Phryne looked in each one, admiring the group inside as if she were about to join them, but then moved on when John Thompson was nowhere to be found. 

“See anything you like, Jack?” She asked wantonly. 

He didn’t dignify the question with a response.

She paused in front of an empty parlor and frowned. She turned around to silently ask Jack what he thought before stepping inside cautiously. It appeared to be as yet undiscovered by anyone.

“A perfect hiding spot,” she decided. “We can wait a few moments and see if he arrives later.” She quickly shut the parlor door and locked it, leaving them alone at last.

“Keeping up pretense?” Jack questioned, looking from her to her hand on the lock and back to her. 

“If you wish, although I did plan for every eventuality,” she promised and his eyes darkened. 

“Been here before?” He asked curiously, looking ill at ease at the thought.

“No, but it is an open secret,” she shrugged. “London is much more interesting than she appears on the surface. If you agree to play by the rules on the outside, everything else gets swept under the rug.”

She raised her hand to silence him as a couple thudded against the closed door and a moan of pleasure escaped someone.

“Yes,” a woman cried out loudly. “Oh, yes!”

Phryne glanced at Jack, a smile in place as she listened to the rhythmic thrusting against the door, before walking over to join him in the middle of the room.

“Sounds like we became the eavesdropping room,” she teased quietly as the sounds grew louder from what she could only imagine was open fucking in the dark corner of the hall. 

A slap on round flesh made Jack turn pink but she bit her lip as her body reacted to the sound, wanting to experience the same pleasure. She felt her breathing becoming erratic and her abdomen tugged in jealousy as the man began talking to his partner. The noises and the words floated through the thin wall and directly into her nervous system and she shifted uncomfortably. 

“You like this,” Jack realized, cataloging her physical reaction to the sound. 

She took his hand, spread her legs and invited him to discover just how much she did. 

“Phryne,” he sighed in amazement of her, his breath hot on the skin of her neck as he explored her wet center before his fingertip slipped up and down the front of her slick wall, teasing her. 

She whimpered softly as he added another finger. 

“Jack,” she moaned quietly as she retrieved her breast from inside her dress and offered it to him. He sucked on it greedily, his fingers continuing to stroke her from within.

“More,” she begged.

He left her wanting, choosing instead to strip as fast as he could. She took the chance to do the same and when she looked at him again, he had pulled his throbbing erection out and was stroking himself with the hand that had just been inside her. 

When he was slick with her, he pressed her up against the door, coming up behind her in the way he knew would break her fast.

She had never been more aroused as the moans and curses from the hallway echoed through the thin plaster. 

"Not a sound.” He dared in her ear and her eyes went hazy with the challenge. “Listen to them but utter a single sound and I stop.” He placed one hand on the wall for purchase, the other found her clitoris and he thrust slowly at first, testing her, easing into the challenge but within moments, he was matching the rhythm of the thrusts against their door, a mirror image unseen.

Her own hand came up against the wall as he fucked her to another man’s words and another woman’s cries. 

The woman came not once, but twice as Phryne’s own body began to climax. Her partner was chanting his encouragement as he broke as well, roaring through his own orgasm. 

Phryne’s body gave in as wave after wave of pleasure squeezed through her and Jack came with a sharp grunt in her ear, thrusting sporadically, his body out of his own control. 

She fell forward against the wall, letting it hold her up as Jack collapsed naked onto the chaise lounge behind him. 

“Fuck,” Jack whispered, making her giggle quietly to herself before sliding to the floor in a heap.

They smiled at each other in amazement before he crooked a finger towards her, wanting her to join him. 

She shook her head, unable to stand and he closed the distance, coming down to his knees to kiss her. 

“What if that’s Thompson?” He asked with a glance towards the door.

“Then I think we owe him dinner.” Phryne suggested and Jack smiled before kissing her again.


	12. Sofa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway home, friends!

Jack was on the telephone when he heard the familiar purr of her motorcar outside of his house.

With a quick glance out his parlor window, he confirmed his suspicions. He ended his call and leaned back in his chair, curiously wondering what was stopping her from entering and how long it would last. Perhaps she was working up the courage to disturb him at home? She had never found him there before.

When her knock finally came, he answered it quickly.

“Miss Fisher,” he greeted with a knowing smile before realizing she had been crying. “Phryne? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He asked, worried to see her in such a fragile state. 

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry. I know that it's late but I didn’t know where else to…” She stopped before she started crying again and he wrapped his arms around her, not knowing what else to do but hold her up. 

"What happened?" He asked, his protective nature flaring against whoever could reduce a woman like Phryne Fisher to tears.

“City Central found a body, a young blonde girl. And even though I know where Janey is now, I still…”

He didn't need to know the rest. He led her to the kitchen, pulled a chair out from the table, and deposited her into it. He pulled another closer and sat down facing her on the same side of the table, before reaching into his pocket and offering her his handkerchief.

“Thank you,” she took it, suddenly looking embarrassed for her reaction. 

“What can I do?” Jack asked, wanting to be useful to her. 

"Can you find out if she has a family? If they need anything?"

Jack knew without asking that Phryne would be paying for the expenses of a trial, possibly even the funeral if they'd let her.

"I'll look into it," he promised. 

"Thank you."

She fell silent and Jack took the opportunity to try and brainstorm what might make her feel better. She usually sought the physical comforts of the world, of which he had admittedly little. He was contemplating offering her some of his cheap whiskey when she folded her arms in front of herself and sniffed. The realization hit him like a lightning bolt: she didn't come here for whiskey; she came here for him.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” He offered. 

She looked stunned by the question. 

"Here? With you?" 

“If you're worried about your virtue, I can assure you that it is... quite safe," he smiled as she realized how far from his mind that particular issue was when she was crying in his kitchen. "I don’t want to boast, but I’ve been told that I make an impressive sofa bed.”

She smiled and he felt the air in the room lighten by degrees.

"Thank you," she accepted the offer sincerely. "I...I would like that, if it's not too much trouble."

He reached for her hand.

“We all have our shadows, Miss Fisher but that doesn’t mean that we have to sit in them alone," he informed her. He'd learned that from her, after all. The least he could do is repay the kindness. "Now," he clapped his hands together, changing the mood and eager to play the host for once. "Let's get you freshened up, put a drink in your hand, you'll be right as rain in no time at all. Would you like to wash up?” He asked, looking at the make-up caked remains of his handkerchief in her hands.

“I would like that very much," she nodded.

“On the right,” he gestured down the hall. “Meanwhile, I’ll try and find something that you can wear as pajamas.”

“Thank you,” she murmured again and they went their separate ways. 

Jack took a quick glance around his parlor, grateful that it looked suitable for an unexpected guest. He made up the sofa with sheets and blankets before finding her a set of his pajamas and delivering them to the bathroom. 

Her face, now clean but no less pink for having been scrubbed, looked grateful but she didn’t say anything. When she did emerge again, she was dressed and looking far too adorable for someone in pajamas two sizes too wrong.

He smiled and she looked down and smiled a little too.

“I look ridiculous,” she acknowledged. 

“It’s nothing hiding under some blankets and turning out the lights won’t fix,” he teased as he nodded towards the sofa.

“Oh. You really did make me a little bed." She looked amazed for a brief moment, touching the top of the sofa with her hand, but her face crumpled and she turned around quickly so that he couldn’t see her cry.

“Phryne,” he stepped towards her, unable to stand watching her cry. He sat them both down on the couch, his arm stretching across the back in a deliberate attempt to not touch her. 

“I’m sorry. This will end eventually,” she assured him as she dabbed at her eyes with the hem of her pajama shirt sleeve. She inhaled sharply, trying to gather herself. "I’ll be fine, really.” 

“I’ve never questioned that,” he said softly.

She stared at him, making some unspoken decision, before leaning her head against his shoulder. 

A small piece of him tensed at the action but she fit well against him and after a few moments, his hand found the top of her arm and his thumb began drawing comforting circles there. He felt her breathing begin to level out and before he knew it, she was sleeping against him, as naturally as anything. 

OOOOO

As Jack’s eyes fluttered open, he realized that the lamp was still on and they were both right where they had dozed off. 

He had slid down and stretched out across the sofa. Phryne was wrapped over top of him like a blanket, head on his chest and hands around his sides. His own hands were folded over the small of her back and nothing about the position felt wrong. 

He slowly lifted his left hand to check his watch through blurry eyes. 

Jesus, it was 5 am. 

Before he could figure out what to do next, Phryne was stirring against him. His morning erection appreciated her twisting pelvis as she readjusted above him and Jack had to close his eyes to remember that this was not why he’d asked her to stay. 

Her hands moved first, sliding up his back and then over his chest, discovering what she was laying on before who. There was a slight pause before she looked down the side of the sofa and over to their feet.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice groggy but answering her silent question.

When she raised her head from his chest and realized that the man underneath her was not meant to be there, she looked like he had revealed his own naked portrait to her. 

“Good morning.” She fought to maintain some casual sense of decorum but her body tinged pink and her breathing stuttered, giving her away, and in that moment, she stole the remnants of his battered heart so completely that he felt the pull of it trying to leave his chest.

It was more compulsion than courage that drew him to sit up, his hand coming to her cheek. He stared at her, testing the waters, before she leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him softly.

When he pulled away to check her reaction, she was already nodding her approval and nipping at his lips, wanting to deepen the kiss, which he did happily. 

They kissed with a quiet but dizzying hunger that never seemed to be sated. It was as if that thing that they had spent their entire lives chasing could only be found in each other and now that they had found it, they couldn’t get enough.

"Please, Jack," she whispered breathlessly as she lay back, bringing him over top of her. "I don’t have contraception but I... need you... right now,” she murmured between kisses. 

“Not necessary,” he informed her as he removed her pajama pants. She tilted her head in confusion. “I can’t have children,” he reminded her.

“Oh thank god,” she moaned before they worked together to undress as quickly as they could. 

She stroked herself once before guiding his cock slowly inside her and then it was done; he was lost to her forever. 

They gazed at each other in wonder as their bodies working in tandem without any conscious thought. He managed a breathless kiss to her neck before she cried out, her voice breaking along with the wave of pleasure slamming down on their bodies. Her orgasm triggered his own and he spilled inside her, spasming violently. 

She held him close, her nails lightly dancing up and down his spine until she felt him relax under her hands and he slid limply from her body. He used his pajama top to clean them both up and they lay side by side bonelessly for a few moments.

Dawn was just beginning to creep into the window as she made the first attempt to speak. 

“What time do you need to leave for work?” She asked. 

“I don’t know.” He brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’ve been shaking and feverish this morning. I might be coming down with something,” he muttered slyly as he pulled her over top of him. 

“The day that you lie to get out of work…” she scoffed, calling his bluff.

“...is the day that I finally have Phryne Fisher lying naked against me.” He lay his head back against the sofa to really take the moment in. 

She grinned, pleased as punch to be considered his downfall. She kissed her way up his jaw, tempting him into forgetting his own name as she nibbled on his ear lobe. 

“If you can manage to behave yourself for five minutes, I can let the station know that I won’t be in today and make a call to someone at City Central to find out about your case without ever removing you from my..." she ground her hips against his, "bed,” he improvised with a groan, her mind clearly in the same gutter as his.

“Make your calls, Inspector,” she allowed, sitting up slowly. “And when you’re done, I’ll return the favor for taking care of me last night. I can draw us a bath in that deceptively large bathtub that I noticed last night,” she picked up their clothes from the floor, “and then I believe an introduction to your bedroom is in order,” she added over her shoulder.

He watched her disappear into the bathroom and then closed his eyes deliriously as he reached for the telephone receiver. There’d be no lying at all when he informed them that he wasn’t fit for duty today. 


	13. Kitchen

Phryne paused and watched him work in the garden from his kitchen window. It was a rare occasion when he would get distracted enough for his focus to narrow in on whatever task he was undertaking and she could observe him without his knowledge. It was also a rare occasion where a simple chore of pulling vegetables from the garden could enthrall her. 

He moved with a casual grace that she found more than inviting. Her arms itched to wrap around his torso from behind. She could practically feel how firm his chest would feel under her hands and see the small smile that would tug on his lips as he felt her body press up against his. She wondered if she could distract him with a kiss to the back of his neck. 

She pressed the cold glass of water in her hand against her chest, where the buttons of Jack's shirt parted just enough for the glass to reach her skin. 

When Jack finally spotted her through the window, he smiled kindly, pleased to see her awake, and picked up the basket beside him and headed for the house. 

“Good morning,” he greeted her with a kiss. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Mmhm," she replied before stepping to the side so that he could access the sink. "Do you always do your gardening at dawn?" She asked half-curiously, half-teasing. 

“I do when I plan on impressing a beautiful woman with breakfast,” he replied with a sly smirk as he began washing his hands. 

“You did enough impressing last night but don’t let me stop you,” she smiled as she hopped up on his table, ready to watch the show.

Jack gave her a sidelong glance as he dried his hands on a towel, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was truly in his home before leaning over to kiss her. 

“How hungry are you?” He asked facetiously and she glanced towards the stove before turning to look at his charming face again. 

“I could be distracted,” she murmured as he came to stand in front of her. 

“How distracted?” He inquired as he settled between her legs.

“Very,” she said in a low, sultry tone before he kissed her. 

His hands ran up and down her bare thighs, caressing the skin there and she felt herself warm from the inside out, like whiskey on a winter’s night. It made her toes curl in an entirely new way that might have scared her if it didn't feel so perfectly right.

“I don't know what you do to me, Jack Robinson, but I quite like it," she murmured as she stroked the nape of his neck.

“I know exactly what you do to me, Miss Fisher," he murmured huskily in the curve of her neck. "Bare legged, in my shirt, sitting on my table, begging to be ravaged." He grinned as he pushed her backwards, laying her out to undress her. 

"Are you going to have me on your kitchen table, Inspector?" She grinned as he worked the buttons quickly.

"There's more than one way to impress a beautiful woman," he reasoned.

"Yes, there is." She let him work, watching the joy that it brought him to do so. He was looking at her the same way he eyed one of Mr. Butler's meals after missing lunch and she massaged her breasts in anticipation of his own hands.

When she was naked, she threw her arm over her head, posing dramatically and he smiled at her for the teasing.

He kissed her briefly before reaching for his own braces. 

"Hurry, I'm cold," she rushed him. 

"You know how to keep yourself warm," he reminded her with a smirk. 

"But I like it better when you do it," she pouted. 

"Well then, you'd better make room." He shoved his trousers to the floor and kicked them off. 

She moved onto her side and he joined her on his. She hooked her leg around him and pulled him in tighter against her.

"Jack, don't tease," she sighed as his cock nudged at her core.

He kissed her with a smirk and she wriggled against him.

"Are you distracted yet?" He asked.

"And begging to be ravaged," she murmured, using his own words against him as she guided him inside her. 

Jack took his time, moving with an unhurried confidence that she adored. She met his hips with each gentle rock, over and over again, until her nerves began to fray. She let out a whimper as she felt her orgasm approaching, not ready for the sweet connection to end. 

"Jack," she clutched him tighter as she tried to hold on but she came with a gasp, her body shaking and shuddering through intense pleasure as he held her against him. She was still quivering through her aftershocks when he came himself, spilling inside her with her name on his lips. 

They both lay together, nose to nose, and she felt Jack's gaze checking on her, making sure that she was alright. This was so new and neither of them were completely comfortable, despite wanting to be.

"You know, when Jane first came to stay with me, she asked when I would be taking her back to Welfare and I told her that I wasn't sure that I could. I felt like she was already mine to care for, even though we had just met. She felt... right," she explained simply. "You’ve always felt right like that too," she informed him. "But you still look at me from time to time like I might send you back to Welfare at any moment."

He turned onto his back, taking in her statement. 

"I could never do that, Jack, not even when you asked me to," she reminded him and the light fell from his face as he recalled his previous request. “And even though I love the way that you still cradle my face when you kiss me, I want you to do it because you love it too, not because you think I'll run away if you don't."

He nodded, looking as if he completely understood. 

"You cling to my jacket when you kiss me," he revealed, turning to face her again with a won-over face that showed her how much he adored it. "Hold me in place until you've had your way with me," he clutched at invisible lapels. "I like it too but there's no need," he assured her. "I'll come willingly."

He was right. There was a small part of her that worried that he would come to his senses at any moment and retreat back into his safe, quiet life and leave her holding her heart again. She'd nearly lost him so many times. 

"Well, we're a right funny pair, aren't we?" She sighed. 

"Seems that way," he agreed. "But I'll stay if you do," he offered with a smile.

"You will?" 

"Sure," he said casually. "I think you're beginning to grow on me," he undersold his opinion with a smirk.

A slap to his arm only made him laugh harder before he kissed his way into her good graces again, cradling her face the entire time.


	14. Pool House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lechatnoir1918 chose swimming pool and this came out instead. It's pool-adjacent though so I hope it suffices. : )

Jack paced. 

He had always considered himself a patient man, able to sit quietly and observe more than most, but his muscles were screaming to move, to be worn out. 

He glanced out the window at the dark, cool pool at the back of the estate and he was heading down the stairs before he could even realize what he was doing. 

“Can I assist you, sir?” The butler asked, staring curiously at the strange man wandering the halls in the middle of the night. 

“No. I’m afraid I can’t sleep so I’m going for a swim.”

“A swim, sir?”

“Yes,” he spoke with the authority of a man who couldn’t be stopped and the servant simply opened the back door for him and gestured towards the pool. 

He undressed down to his boxers and undershirt and dove in, the rush of cold water hitting his nervous system like a brick wall against the sweltering summer heat. 

He swam laps over and over until he couldn’t remember how many he’d done and when he finally came up for air, it was because 10 red toes were dipped into the end of the pool, blocking him from pushing off again. 

He stood up and waited for her to give her explanation.

“I’ve been watching you swim for nearly half an hour, I was worried you were going to drown if I didn’t come out here and intervene,” she stated.

“I’m fine. You should go back inside before he realizes that you’re gone.” 

“Jack…” 

“I’m fine, Phryne,” he said as he climbed up the ladder to escape her. “It’s your case. Do whatever, or whomever, you need to do.” He bent over to pick up his towel off his chair. 

The slap that cracked against his cheek echoed in the dark courtyard.

“Don’t you ever speak to me that way ever again,” she pointed her finger at him angrily. 

He refused to touch his cheek, raising the towel to his hair and toweling it dry.

“You’re going to wake up the entire household,” he warned. 

“I don’t care.” 

“Well, you damn well should,” he whispered harshly. “You’re undercover, Phryne. If anything happened to you because of me, I’d never...” he paused, keeping his worried thoughts to himself and toweling off. “Go inside. Please.” 

“Not until we settle this.” She folded her arms just as stubbornly. “Do you honestly think that I would ever let a man like _that_ put his hands on me?" 

“I saw him kiss you goodnight,” he informed her, the image of his mouth on her neck seared into his brain. 

Phryne subconsciously touched her collarbone in response, as if covering the affected skin would erase the sin. 

“And I’m trying my best to keep my terrible thoughts at bay while you do whatever you need to do to solve this, but that’s not easy when you’re standing out here, begging to be caught.” 

“How terrible?” She asked sadly and he looked away. “Jack?” 

He exhaled, letting that be his response.

She looked around before taking his hand and leading him back to the pool house. 

"Phryne…"

She shushed him as she locked the door and pulled the curtains closed. It was only the work of a moment to pull her dress over her head and then her slip and then she started in on his wet clothes.

He opened his mouth to question what the hell she was thinking but she closed it with her finger and pressed him back against the door, covering his now shivering body with her own. 

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly and she dragged her finger down from his mouth to the hollow of his throat. She placed a kiss there before slowly dragging her nails down his chest.

He watched as she tilted her head back, revealing the hollow of her throat, encouraging him to place a kiss there. He stared at her for a long moment, knowing that it was a peace offering but unsure if he was ready to take it. 

He inhaled, working up the will to repeat what he had just seen someone else do to her but he took his turn, kissing her skin in the same way. 

A breathless sigh shuddered through her as he did one better, moving his head to her breast and scraping his teeth over her nipple, mimicking her own actions.

"Jack…" she sighed and he closed his lips around her, sucking and tugging on the sweet flesh. He felt her fingers slide into his wet curls, massaging his scalp.

"Make love to me, Jack," she requested, slowly pulling him backwards towards the floor. 

The demand was easy to comply with and for once, he didn't care about the consequences. He wanted to claim her and she wanted to be claimed. 

As he laid her on her back, she kept her embrace impossibly close and he knew in that moment that she felt as distant from him as he did from her

"Slow and close," he promised and her eyes squeezed shut as he began to thrust slowly inside her.

The evidence of their fidelity was undeniable when they were together. Like everything they did, they were stronger than the sum of their parts. The thought of his jealousy was ridiculous now. They would have this long after empires fell. A case could not break them.

“I love you,” she panted, reading his mind. “Jack? I love _you_ ,” she writhed underneath him, wanting him to know. 

“Yes, Phryne, oh, god," he called out as he ground into her hips, needing her to come.

She tightened her grip on his shoulders and he broke, arching into her hard as she came around him, pulsing tightly to hold him in her body. 

He fell beside her onto the floor, completely spent and she covered her eyes with her forearm. 

When she turned to face him again, her eyes were crystalline. 

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, reaching for her. "I should have never said those things to you. It won't happen again," he vowed, feeling terrible.

"I know it won't," she placed herself in his arms. “You are the only man to ever hold my heart, Jack and you do it with such care and love that I would never, ever do anything to compromise that. Not even to solve a case."

“I know, I know,” he kissed her palm, not wanting her to think that he was still angry or jealous after she had been so open with him. "But you should go," he reminded her as he glanced at the door. 

"I don't want to," she said as he sat up, bringing her up with him. 

"Even so, you have to." He reached for her clothes and she began getting dressed. "He's probably going to be looking for you, so if he suspects anything, tell him that you seduced me to keep me off your trail." 

"You're willing to play the fool in all of this?" She paused.

"I am the fool in all of this," he reminded her. "Just take care of yourself, that's my only concern."

She nodded, looking heartbroken by his honesty. 

"Jack, don't forget what's real, please?" She begged.

"I won't," he kissed her goodbye. 

"See you in the morning?” 

Jack nodded. 

"I love you," she touched his face.

"Love you," he murmured as he watched her go.


	15. Dressing room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lechatnoir1918 wanted in front of the mirror and this time, I was able to follow through!

Phryne glanced at her watch, annoyed.

"Really, Jack, you can't look that ba…" 

Her mouth slammed shut as he emerged from the dressing room. 

"I told you." He fussed with the sleeve of the suit. "It's too…"

She held up her hand, silencing him. She spun him around in front of her, ignoring his feelings of foolishness. Everywhere she looked, his body was perfectly accentuated. 

"Oh, now, there you have it," the tailor walked in. "Fits you like a glove."

"We'll take two," Phryne agreed. 

"Phryne, you don't have to…"

“Yes, I do," she cut him off. “Please ring us up, sir. Thank you very much," she instructed the tailor before lowering her voice and walking him back towards the door. “And it may take a few minutes to convince him so please, don’t be worried if we’re back here arguing about it. We’ll come out once I’ve succeeded in persuading him it’s in his best interest.” She practically shoved the tailor back out into the front of the shop and locked the dressing room from the inside.

“You don’t have to spend your money on me,” Jack finished, refusing to let it go.

"I do because it's taking everything I have not to rip it off you,” she added casually, tugging on his sleeve as she adjusted it just a little in the mirror.

He looked at her in surprise.

“Look at yourself,” she instructed, drawing his attention to the mirror where she was ready to meet his gaze. 

“I look like Bert and Cec will come for me in the middle of the night,” he teased.

“So will I, and whose opinion would you prefer to listen to?” 

“You don’t think it’s too much?” He asked honestly, his frown still in place. 

"Do you remember that lingerie that I bought for your birthday?” She asked.

"Of course I do." He glanced down her body, recalling the ensemble in his mind's eye.

“Pretend that it’s my birthday,” she commanded as she took a step back. 

The understanding look on his face made his eyes darken. 

"Phryne, we're in public," he warned quietly but she knew every inflection in his voice and he wasn't actually worried. The door was locked and she had dismissed the shopkeeper. They had time. 

“Get undressed, slowly.” She unbuttoned her trousers and dropped them to her ankles. Her hand found her core just as he removed his bow tie and his suit coat. His crisp white shirt didn’t last long as he set it aside and she began moving her hand faster. She leaned backwards against the mirror, losing her balance as he lost his trousers. She let out a satisfied moan when he spun around to show her his back as he took off his undershirt just to let her have a look. 

“Fuck, Jack,” she panted as she saw how his smalls were stretching with his own arousal. His eyes were dark as he pulled himself out and began stroking his hard length. 

“Oh yes, touch yourself too,” she watched his hand sliding up and down as she came with a jolt, her body unable to keep going with such a sight before her. She shook and shivered through her climax and when she came down, she only wanted one thing. She moved down to her knees before him and took his straining cock into her wet mouth and drew one long pull, shattering his resolve as he shot hot cum down her throat. 

“God damn it,” he hissed as his hands held her there until he was ready to leave her mouth. “How do you always get me into this trouble?” He accused with a small smile. 

“I offered to let you strip me down in a dressing room ages ago. You passed," she said as she stood up again and began looking for her clothes. 

“There was a body in the next room,” he reminded her, “not to mention a murderer.”

“Your loss all the same,” she shrugged. “Are we getting the suits?” She asked as he changed back into his old clothes. 

“We can get one suit,” he compromised. 

“Better reconsider because I am going to take you straight home and ride you in it,” she whispered. “And then I’m going to turn around and you are going to fuck me from behind while I watch you take me in the mirror."

“You are not buying me an extra tuxedo just to rip off my body.” 

“Stop me,” she dared. 

“Phryne,” he looked at her seriously. 

“I’ll have it shredded by morning,” she promised as she strutted out of the dressing room, leaving him alone. 


	16. Theatre

We made it to the infamous psychic chapter. Before we begin, go to [Chapter 16: Theatre](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21413272/chapters/51752749) of "Yes and..." and look at LeChatNoir1918's psychic drawing. 

Okay, now read what I wrote back in November.

OOOOO

“Inspector Robinson, right this way.” 

“Thank you, Walt,” he smiled as the usher led him into Phryne’s private box. 

"Gonna be a good one tonight, sir," he smiled brightly. "I think you're really gonna like it."

Jack nodded politely. He hadn't quite gotten used to the level of attention people paid you when they assumed that you had money. The truth was, he was much more interested in using Phryne's tickets for the privacy that they afforded him, especially after a long day of work. The freedom to sit alone in the dark, unseen and unbothered, had been too alluring to pass up. He would miss it when Phryne inevitably returned from her world tour. Although, if their reunion went as well as their parting, perhaps he would be invited to join her from time to time.

The lights went down and Jack joined the audience in clapping, trying hard to focus on the show instead of how Phryne might be spending her evening.

The woman began to sing her second song of the night as Jack's senses registered Parisian perfume and the swish of silk. 

"Miss me?" She whispered in his ear.

The question solidified his wildest hopes and he paused to smile to himself before turning around to find Phryne in a white beaded dress and red silk wrap. It had been so long since he had seen her in person, the dissonance between his memories of her and seeing her beside him was making his head spin. 

She sat down beside him casually, as if she hadn’t been gone for months and he couldn’t let that stand.

“You’re late,” he accused quietly, wanting to poke at her cool exterior.

“I had further to travel,” she retorted without hesitation.

Jack smiled. He had missed being put in his place by her.

Her sly but victorious glance his way did not go unnoticed and he opened his mouth to give his reply when the orchestra began to play loudly, eliminating his chance. 

Phryne reached over and set her hand on his, locking eyes with him and giving him a more sincere, albeit it silent, greeting. His hand opened and she wove her fingers through his before turning her attention back to the stage, leaving the connection in place.

Jack lost the battle to stare at her hand in his, remembering that the last time he had seen it, it had been a hundred meters above the ground and waving goodbye. It looked the same: no new scars and perfectly manicured as always but he recognized the difference. It had been given with intention. She had returned, but more importantly, she had returned to him. 

The aria being performed was beautiful and sad and on a normal day, might have distracted him from the woman beside him but today was not that day. He wondered briefly if pulling out his badge and stopping the show would be an abuse of power but Phryne, sensing his frustration at her proximity, squeezed his hand and smiled to herself, never taking her eyes off the orchestra below.

 _She_ was telling _him_ to be patient? She who had never once been patient in her entire life?

He extracted his hand from hers, causing her to look over in concern. He stood up and leaned over her chair.

"Come after me," he taunted in her ear, watching the skin on the back of her neck react to his words before leaving the box.

Behind him, the rushed clacking of the beads on her dress could be heard even over the applause of the crowd as he made his way down the steps towards the lobby. He didn't have a plan but he knew they needed privacy. He took a left towards the stage and found what appeared to be a dark practice room with a piano and a few chairs. 

Good enough.

He pulled her into the room and shut the door behind them. He didn't give her a chance to catch up, pushing her up against it and kissing her wildly. She let herself sink into the kiss, giving up control and melting in his arms. When he finally released her, it was only to get some oxygen, and maybe some answers.

"Could this possibly be the same cautious Jack that I left only three months ago?" Phryne asked breathlessly, a surprised smile plastered on her face.

Jack set his palms on either side of her head, looking her right in the eyes, wanting her to understand his intentions clearly.

"You'll find that he is quite done waiting his turn," he explained. 

"I know the feeling," Phryne sighed, touching his face. "But I am home now. No more waiting. You have my full attention," she promised.

"Do you mean that?" He asked, his actual question lying beneath the surface. 

"Yes," she nodded. 

"Good, because I want to be with you, Phryne. I want to work with you and live with you and sleep with you and most of all, I want you to want all of those things with me," he summed up three months' of internal dialogue in two very blunt sentences. 

"Yes," she exclaimed as sincerely as possible before pulling him towards her for another bone-melting kiss that practically begged him to put his hands on her. 

He found the curves of her waist and followed them down until he had a hold of her by the thighs. She leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and eliminating the distance between them almost entirely. 

He ground against her, using the door behind her for leverage as she moaned in desire.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment," she informed him as he kissed her neck.

"Oh, I do," he muttered, nudging his nose against her jaw.

“Then get inside me,” she rushed him towards some sort of gratification. 

They undressed in a frenzy, wanting only to get what they needed as quickly as they could. Jack could barely breathe as he felt her dripping cunt with the head of his cock, prepping them both for the step they could never take back. 

“Jack, look at me,” she demanded his attention. She nodded her approval and he thrust slowly inside her. The connection was electric as he pulled out just as slowly, making her moan. 

“Good?” He asked as he did it again.

“Faster,” she panted and he gave in, giving her whatever she wanted as long as he could stay inside her. They settled on a pace that was just short of fucking, both of them losing the battle against their wills and getting lost in the sensations burning through their bodies. 

"Oh, right there, don't stop, don't stop," she murmured against his lips, never fully ending her kisses. 

"Not on your life," he grunted as he thrust deeper inside her, making her head tilt back and her mouth fall open with silent pleasure.

Her fingers clutched him tighter as she began to climb. Her hips set a faster pace, wanting desperately to come. 

"Phryne," he begged, beginning to lose control just as her body clamped down around him, sending pleasure rippling down his spine. He bit his lip as his orgasm burst through him, sending him into a blackout.

Phryne gently kissed his brow as he slowly lowered her back down to the floor. 

He stared at her for a long while, either in disbelief or shock, he couldn't be sure but the lazy smile on her lips told him that she was more than pleased with the unexpected turn of events.

"Are you pleased with yourself?" He asked with a chuckle.

She nodded.

"I can't believe our first time together was against a door in a public theatre," he shook his head at their youthful indiscretion. 

"Then you haven't been paying attention," she taunted. 

He tilted his head in confusion. 

"The first time you ever wooed me, we were on that stage," she reminded him. "I wanted to kiss you then but that was back when you were only catching me just to let me go again," she said pointedly.

"I remember it very differently," he defended, "but go on,"

"And when we were meant to have our first real dinner together, we ended up at the Calvalcade murder instead, which, coincidentally, is also where we agreed to finally sit down and sort things out between us once and for all. I would argue that the universe has been pushing us toward this moment for years, don't you think?"

He didn't know what witchcraft she had him under but her logic seemed sound in his post-coital haze and he wasn't going to test it. He kissed her one more time, not quite ready to let her go but knowing that he must, before letting her go get dressed. 

"I’m glad you’re home,” he repeated, just in case he hadn’t verbalized the sentiment yet. 

“I’m glad to be home,” she agreed. “I’ve been traveling for so long that I’ve been dreaming about sleeping in my own bed. It’s pathetic.” 

“Let’s get you home and into it then, shall we?” He offered.

“Only if you join me in it," she said audaciously. 

"I believe we can work something out," he grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you. Same chapter number. Same chapter name. Same outfits. Same hand-holding. Crazy, right?


	17. Shower

Phryne turned over in Jack's bed and paused.

The shower was running, which meant that he was home from his night shift.

The thought to join him lodged in her brain and she smiled to herself. She crept out of bed and made it as far as the bathroom door, her hand on the door knob, when she heard a familiar groan of pleasure that tugged on her insides and made her bite her lip in curiosity. It almost sounded as if...

She opened the door slowly, not wanting to scare him, and peeked into the bathroom. His silhouette had one hand on the tile, legs spread wide as his other hand moved vigorously.

She stepped into the bathroom quietly, debating on whether or not to join him, but unable to resist at least getting a better look.

“Jesus!” Jack jumped at the sight of her hand on the curtain. "Phryne?" 

“Shh,” she murmured as she stepped into the shower behind him. She kissed his shoulder blade as she slid her left hand around his rib cage and up his chest, holding him still. She felt his muscles contracting beneath hers as she ran her nails over his abdomen and pressed her nipples against his back. 

Unusually impatient after being interrupted so close to completion, he took himself in hand again and set back to work, finishing himself off in a quick climax that she felt in her own body as she held him close. His muscles melted and he relaxed completely in her embrace. 

He turned around to face her and she brushed his wet curls off of his face to take in the bags under his eyes. She knew his weary look well by now. He had had a bad night.

"Feel better?" She asked, hoping he had found what he needed.

He nodded.

“Was she pretty?” She teased with a smirk.

He gave her a roll of his eyes and turned off the water. 

She took his silence as a yes.

“Well, I hope that she lets you do all of the wicked things that you can’t do with me.” She reached for his towel and handed it to him.

“What can’t I do with you?” He questioned curiously, wrapping it around his waist.

“I don’t know, it’s your fantasy,” she replied, drying herself off.

He sighed. 

“Apparently, keep up,” he decided, shaking his head in defeat.

“Then straight to bed with you,” she commanded.

“Are you going to join me?” He wondered, his hopeful invitation hanging in the air. 

“I don’t have anywhere that I need to be this morning. I can lay beside you for a while," she agreed.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her sweetly, a pleased smile on his lips. 

“I was trying not to wake you, but my fantasy is no comparison to the reality of you,” he praised. 

She smiled at the compliment just as he stifled a yawn. 

“Come on, Romeo, before you fall over,” she guided him to bed. 


	18. Wine Cellar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lechatnoir1918 wanted a wine cellar.

“Jack?” Phryne called.

“Down here!” He replied. 

She emerged in the dim light, pausing at the foot of the stairs, her head tilted curiously.

“What are you doing down here?” She asked. 

“Wishing that I knew more French,” he confessed as he examined another wine label for clues.

“Mr. Butler usually orders the wine,” she explained as she took the bottle from him and put it back on the rack, silently giving her opinion. 

“Yes, well, as he is on holiday, I thought that I would do the honors but I didn't know that it would require being bilingual.” He held another bottle up and immediately set it down, unsatisfied. 

“Perhaps I could assist,” she offered. She reached past him, brushing herself against the front of him in an act far too deliberate to be accidental.

“This is one of my favorites,” she offered innocently as she selected a bottle of champagne from the shelf.

He wasn’t about to fall for her mischief when he could join in. He placed his hands on either side of her body, trapping her in place. He leaned forward and bent his head to kiss the nape of her neck, her short black hair tickling his nose. He smirked in victory when he felt the pull of her smile in response. It was still new, this thing between them, but the fact that he could make her smile while still being unbelievably selfish was a blessing that he wasn't taking for granted. 

“You should be more careful with a woman holding an explosive device,” she warned as she spun around to face him, bottle in hand.

“And you should hold on tighter,” he volleyed right back as he went in for a proper kiss. He tasted the wax of her freshly applied lipstick as he hungrily explored her mouth and he felt a surge of power knowing that she had freshened it just for him. 

“Are you starting something in my wine cellar?” She whispered against his lips. Given the amount of people normally in the house, they hadn’t left the sanctity of her boudoir yet and she seemed excited by this unexpected development. 

“I believe you started it, Miss Fisher. I simply plan to end it,” he smirked as he went in for another kiss. 

“Jack…” she grinned in delight as he began to undress her, “my protection is upstairs,” she warned as her trousers hit the stone floor. 

“Not a problem,” he promised as her smalls joined her trousers. 

She lifted her blouse over her head as his hands slipped under her camisole, waiting impatiently for her to finish so he could follow suit. 

When she was finally naked, he cupped her ass, fully preparing to slide down her body and press his face between her damp thighs, but he was interrupted by the sound of a popping cork next to his head. Suddenly, bubbly champagne was dripping over her breasts and down her flat stomach, coating her in the sticky, intoxicating substance. 

He watched through hazy eyes as she took a swig straight from the bottle, leaving him to take his share from her body. 

Jack went to work. From her rosy nipples to the curve of her belly button and over her hip bones, he lapped up the champagne from her skin before coming up to kiss her for more, the taste of her mixing with the alcohol until he couldn’t tell the difference any longer.

As he kissed her, his fingers toyed with her most sensitive flesh, barely brushing over her core every time his tongue touched hers. She was squirming beneath him for any sort of pressure as he dragged his fingernails across the inside of her thigh. 

“Jack, stop teasing.” She tugged on his hair in protest. 

He took the bottle out of her hands and bent down to set it on the floor beside her. 

She took advantage of his position, pressing down on his shoulder and making sure he lowered all the way to his knees. 

He brought her leg over his right shoulder and opened her up to him. He hummed in awe at the sight. There was nothing in the world that could have prepared him for how much he’d want her once he knew the taste of her. He’d predicted it somehow, quoting it to her before he’d even really gotten to know her, but the reality of it, the complete overwhelming need of it, still surprised him. He started slowly, relishing in his actions, before he gave himself completely over to it, lost himself entirely, until he was moving on his basest of instincts. 

She clutched onto the shelf with both hands above her head as her hips arched into his face, greedy for more, bottles clinking as she wriggled against his mouth. 

He inserted a finger inside her, crooking it carefully and she bit her lip as he found what he was looking for. A second finger joined in as he kept his tongue busy and she cried out deliriously. With a final flick of his tongue, she came with a loud moan, pitching forward and clutching onto his shoulders for purchase.

He slowed his movements until she removed her leg from his body and melted into a pile of bonelessness against him. He shifted to the floor before sitting her in his lap.

She nuzzled his jaw, placing a kiss against his neck. 

He reached for the bottle, taking a long drink to quench the throbbing pain in his trousers before offering it to her. 

She shook her head.

“I’m dizzy enough as it is,” she murmured, touching the back of her hand to her cheek and he knew that she was checking to see if she had any sensation left there. 

He smiled and took another long, victorious sip of champagne before setting it aside. 

“I haven't forgotten you,” she promised as she tried to work up the strength to reciprocate.

“I’m fine where I am,” he brushed the back of his knuckles along her arm.

“No, you’re not,” she called his bluff as she slid his braces off his shoulders and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. She pushed him gently down onto the ground and turned around, sitting on his stomach as she pulled him out of his trousers and began stroking him. 

“Do you want my gratitude or my mercy?” She asked as she looked over her shoulder. 

“Mercy.” 

He closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him as her hand worked fast to bring him relief. 

Suddenly, she shifted and her mouth was also on him, the milky white cheeks of her bottom directly in his face.

Jack groaned as he pulled her closer by the hips and buried himself between them, unable to resist. His tongue speared inside her, lapping lazily, but making her hum in approval around his throbbing cock. He came violently at the sound, his hips shooting up and nearly hitting the back of her throat as she swallowed him tightly. 

His remains lay on the cold floor for what felt like minutes before lifting his head. She put on his shirt instead of her own and a weak pulse twitched through him at the sight, his brain wanting to have her again, but his body not having the energy. 

“What now, Inspector?” She asked as she looked down over his lifeless body. 

“I think we take the rest of that bottle upstairs and drink it together until we have the energy to have each other again,” 

She grinned, pleased with his response. 

“You know, I’ve got a fantasy reserved for just that occasion.” 

“You do?” He tilted his head, wanting to know more. 

“Well, handcuffs were originally involved but I think we can adapt.” 

Jack grinned at the idea and reached up for her hand to pull him up.

“Then lead the way, Miss Fisher," he said as he found his footing. 

"Bring the bottle," she instructed as she headed upstairs, only her legs and the hem of his shirt visible as she disappeared from view.

Jack picked the bottle up off the floor and downed a healthy serving in an effort to cope with the sight. 

She was going to be the death of him.


	19. Dark Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, chapter 18 didn't post?! Sorry friends. I should have double checked! Now you get two in a row.

It had only been a moment.

She had jumped onto his lap without a second thought and when she’d looked down, her breast had fit perfectly in his mouth.

It was knowledge that she didn’t need to have, that would only complicate her already inappropriate arousal whenever Jack did, well, anything around her really: standing, leaning, sitting, breathing…

She groaned and plucked a pillow off the sofa to cover her face in frustration. 

“Have I come at a bad time?” Jack asked from the hall. 

You haven’t come at all, she cursed him mentally. 

“No, come in,” she sighed. “How can I help you, Inspector?” 

“I wanted to thank you. I know that you went, well, shall we say above and beyond,” he smiled and turned slightly red, “to assist Miss Williams and myself and I just wanted you to know how much that I appreciate it.” He handed her a new bottle of her favorite whiskey and she smiled. It wasn’t a small thing for him to provide on a policeman’s salary and she knew it.

“No thanks are necessary, Inspector. You would have done the same thing for me.” 

“I can’t say that I would,” he frowned incredulously. 

“A few short weeks ago, you were willing to dress up as a Roman soldier mere hours after your divorce proceedings. Some of us use feathers for weapons, some of us use swords.” She poured them each a healthy serving of the whiskey. “How are you doing with that, by the way?” She asked. “I’m afraid I’ve been rather wrapped up in my own family business and have been remiss in asking about yours.” 

“I’ve survived worse, although I wasn’t expecting to spend quite so much time with the Sandersons immediately after leaving the family,” he confessed. 

Phryne could see him tense just thinking about it and she frowned. 

“Jack, what do you do to relax? Do you ever go out?” She asked as she sat down.

“Excuse me?” 

“To a club. Dance, drink, you know… out,” she gestured to the window with her glass. 

“I’m usually the one raiding the clubs, Miss Fisher, not dancing in them.” 

“What if I knew of a place where we could be alone? We could sit in peace, drink our whiskey, listen to music and no one would ever know that you were there?” 

Jack looked hesitantly interested. 

“Don’t you think that after the month that we’ve had, we deserve a night out on the town? Secretly of course,” she added. “They have an amazing jazz band,” she tempted him.

“I’m afraid I’m not dressed for a night out,” he excused, looking down at his rumpled suit. 

“You’re dressed enough for this,” she gave an approving smile. 

OOOOO

They slipped in the back door of the unmarked building and she led him straight into a private booth. With the curtains drawn around them, no one was any wiser that the most respected Detective Inspector in the city was in their midst. The jazz song that they were playing was soft and slow and she smiled as she pulled the bottle he had given her out of her shawl. 

“You’ve thought of everything,” he complimented. 

“What, did you think I’d secretly sneak you in here, only to have you break the law?” She questioned as she poured them each a drink. 

He smiled. 

“Admit it, you’re impressed,” she grinned. 

“I am,” he took his drink from her. 

“Then make yourself comfortable, Inspector.” She flung her shawl to the side. “We’ve got nowhere to be until morning.” 

After a few songs, several drinks, and even a slow dance or two, Phryne fell back into the booth with a smile. She took off her velvet shrug and watched as Jack removed his tie and unbuttoned his collar, the heat from their dancing catching up with them. He took a long swig of his whiskey to cool down and he looked her over. 

“What?” She asked, smiling. 

“Nothing,” he commented innocently. 

"You can be honest. I don’t mind,” she promised, taking a sip of her drink.

“Oh, I am painfully aware,” he smiled.

“Then may I ask you a question?” She questioned, the whiskey making her brave. 

He nodded.

“Do you ever think about us in a… non-professional way?” She phrased it as diplomatically as she could for him. 

“A thought may have passed from time to time,” he replied dryly in return. “Why, do you?” 

“More with every case these days,” she confessed with a slightly embarrassed smile before taking a sip of her drink coyly.

He looked down, a small smile on his lips and she realized that he might be feeling every bit as tense as she was from their most recent interaction. 

“I don’t mean to interrogate you or anything,” she gave him an out, “I’ve just always felt that we’ve had a certain... something together,” she confessed. “Although the evidence has been sparse: a kiss here, a misplaced mouth there…”

“Glimpses between fans and works of art,” he added his own moments to the list with a subtle flush of his cheeks.

“Mm,” she agreed with a smile. “Still, the potential is there."

He didn’t deny it, which was a step forward at least.

“And what of all of your other... admirers?” He asked from behind his glass. 

His underlying request was heard loud and clear. 

“Tabled until further discussion,” she responded hesitantly, willing to set them aside for now if he needed her to do so.

This seemed to be the right answer because he set down his glass, swallowed his liquor, and really took her in. 

“I don’t even know what it would look like,” he pondered out loud. “With our work and our separate responsibilities.” 

Phryne put her hand on his arm, stopping him from falling down the analytical rabbit hole he was veering towards. 

“Jack, stop. We’re supposed to be here to relax, remember?” She tilted her head at him. “I was just curious how you felt,” she smiled. 

He placed his hand over hers and leaned in closer. 

“I hate to break it to you, Miss Fisher, but I am not the type of man that you can take into a dark corner, drink and dance with, suggest sleeping with, and then tell to relax.” 

“Well, I am the type of woman--,” she was cut off from her defense by his mouth. 

It was the second time that he surprised her by kissing her but this time she was ready to adapt. She took control quickly, pressing him back into the booth. He tasted like whiskey as she explored his mouth with her tongue. She swallowed a small groan of approval before he broke away to pull her completely onto his lap.

“Jack, are you sure about this?” She asked sincerely, knowing just thirty seconds ago he was panicking. 

“This is me, relaxing,” he assured her, placing his hands on either side of her face before going in for another kiss. 

“You’re not,” she teased, grinding her core against the sizeable bulge in his trousers. His hands followed up her thighs and she let him try to undo her black trousers, fumbling distractedly as he went. 

“Never removed anyone’s trousers before?” she whispered with a grin as she moved just enough to help him shimmy them down her legs. 

“Can’t say that I have,” he tugged them off her calves and tossed them at her feet. 

“Let me show you how it’s done,” she offered as she undid his trousers easily, wiggling them down just enough to reveal his rigid, thick cock. “Hello,” she smiled in delight as she stroked him for the first time. He was hot and heavy in her hand and she wanted to feel how he felt on her tongue but Jack pulled her back over his lap.

A loud jazz number was blaring on a trumpet as he looked at her with a small look of bewilderment. 

“Next time, we do this properly,” he half-promised, half-demanded. 

“I’d take you on the pavement outside if it meant I could finally have you,” she confessed as she guided him inside her. She paused to let him adjust to being inside her and when he nodded, she began to move, using his shoulders for purchase as she worked her hips. She kept her eyes on him, watching him for any signs of distress, but his eyes were closed and his hands were set on her hips, helping her move. They shimmied up her waist, wanting at the rest of her skin and she nodded, giving him permission to pull the camisole over her head. 

“Beautiful,” he murmured as she brought his head towards her chest. He sucked gently on her breast, tasting it tentatively before switching to the other. Her hands stayed in his hair, holding him close, relishing in the attention. 

“Yes, Jack,” she hummed as her hips picked up their pace, moving on their own accord. He never missed a beat, keeping time with her as if they had done this particular waltz a thousand times before. She was close and he seemed to know it, reaching between them and finding her clitoris. With a few gentle rubs, she was panting for her life until he increased the pressure of his fingertips and sent her hurtling through a climax that she barely muffled. 

Jack swore under his breath as his muscles locked and he came with her. She did her best to hold him tight until his hands came up her back and he nuzzled at the valley of her breasts. As he softened and slipped from her, he pulled away just enough to look at her. She was smiling.

“Relaxed enough for you?” He asked, panting. 

“I told you that this was a good idea,” she teased, tugging on his hair as she extricated herself from his lap.


	20. Tub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s word is tub, chosen by Suzieq27 who requested (and I quote): “Rub a dub dub, smut in a tub” and who am I to deny that request?

He rarely made himself at home at Wardlow without her, but tonight was a special occasion. He’d required her deep tub and a healthy dose of her whiskey, even if she herself wasn’t there to drink it with him. 

He was soaking in his second round of hot water, the tightness of his muscles finally starting to ease, thanks to both the arnica and the whiskey he’d applied liberally, when she rushed up the stairs. He braced for her, knowing Mr. Butler would have already filled her in on the reason for his pain.

“Jack,” she sighed, standing in the bathroom doorway. “What happened?” She asked as she set down her clutch and shawl on the sink and made her way over to him. 

“Let’s call it a warning,” he put it delicately as she knelt beside him. “I’m fine. Bruised, but fine.” 

“Where was your back-up?” She asked, clearly feeling territorial of that particular position. 

“Short of a football team on our side, I don’t think more back-up would have helped our odds,” he winced as he shifted to see her better. “We only got away because they weren’t smart enough to take our guns before jumping us.” He was still debating if the paperwork that awaited him tomorrow was worth all of the team's spent shell casings. 

“Well, I’m grateful you kept your wits about you.” She took the cold flannel from his cut cheek to examine it and she frowned.

“That good?" He teased. "Caught it on the curb going down."

"That infamous jawline might have finally been too sharp for your own good," she turned his head gently to see the cut better.

"I'll be alright. Doctor saw me already, all superficial. He just stopped the bleeding and gave me some pills for the pain."

"All the same, you're staying here for observation tonight and tomorrow," she warned. "I've cancelled all of my plans for the next 24 hours." She stood up and kicked off her shoes.

"You didn't have to do that," he frowned, hating to be an inconvenience. 

"Too late," she said.

He watched with interest as she undressed and joined him in the tub, slipping in behind him and becoming a much softer pillow than the porcelain to rest his body against.

He sighed as he melted into her, fully relaxed for the first time since he'd been injured. 

"That feels so good," he flung his head back onto her shoulder as she played with his hair with her left hand and stroked his torso and hip with her right.

"If you fall asleep, I am leaving you in the tub overnight," she warned in his ear.

"I make no promises," he murmured. 

"Someone disagrees," she noted as his cock began to grow from all the attention. She began experimenting, her fingertips sliding and circling his erection with no real sense of purpose other than torturing him. 

"Oh, god," he gave in, arching his hips encouragingly. 

"Does that hurt?" She asked hesitantly. 

"No," he lied.

"Here," she reached to her shelf where she kept no end of bath salts and oils and pulled down a jar of oil and poured it liberally into her hands, warming it between them before stroking him gently with her right hand. 

He hummed in pleasure as she tightened her grip, her skin sliding over him frictionless. Yes, he felt every muscle that had been hit but he also felt building heat gathering at the apex of his thighs as he began to throb with want. His hips arched again, want to thrust deeper inside her but meeting only water. 

"I need to be inside you, Phryne," he panted, sounding dangerously desperate to his own ears. "Turn around. Please. Turn around."

She seemed surprised by the request but she let him turn them both over so that she was now in front of him. He took the chance to begin draining the water, knowing it wouldn't survive the thrusting he was about to do.

She placed her hands on the edge of the tub for purchase as he came up onto his knees. 

He placed one hand on her hip and one on his frustrated cock, pulling her down and spearing himself inside her.

"Fuck," he hissed, knowing that was exactly what he needed. He felt her muscles squeeze around him in encouragement every time he pulled out and slid home again, her ass tight against his hips. His muscles were protesting with every thrust but the pain did something to exacerbate the pleasure he felt and it became addictive to feel her affects through every part of his body. He fucked her as long as he could before pulling out just in time to explode all over her back. He was panting and sweating as he realized that his alcohol had finally sunk in and the world began to spin in his post-coital fog and he sank backwards, letting the tub catch him. 

Phryne cleaned herself up and wrapped herself in a plush towel. 

When he opened his eyes again, she was looking down on him with a mix of love and concern.

"Was it worth it?" Phryne asked with a small smile, knowing he was spent beyond his reserves.

He nodded, unable to talk, and she offered him a hand, pulling him up as gently as she could by the shoulder.

"I'm a little drunk," he explained as he held on a little tighter than normal as she led him to the bedroom. 

"Amongst other things," she agreed as she dropped him to a sitting position on the bed. "Do you want pajamas?" She asked.

"No," he said falling onto a pillow over the doona.

"When they ask, how many of those pills did you take?" She asked.

"Two," he muttered. "Two whiskeys, two pills, now I have two Phrynes," he smiled as she and her shadow-self tucked him under a blanket.

"I'd say sleep it off, but I am glad you're no longer in pain," she murmured into his hair as she kissed him goodnight. 

He was asleep before he could respond.


	21. Yacht

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Phryne's birthday! Celebrate by doing something scandalous, why don't you?

For the first time in her life, Phryne had requested a quiet night in. Between the twin anniversaries of Jack’s divorce and burying Janey, she knew that neither one of them would be in a particularly celebratory mood. Last year, they had been abroad and able to ignore the week entirely but now that they were home in Melbourne, painfully aware of the calendar, they had been stepping around the events like landmines and they both knew it.

So when Cec and Bert arrived at her door with instructions to haul her away for a surprise birthday visit, she had been less than thrilled. Unable to dress for the occasion, she followed them out the door in the simple outfit she had on. 

When they pulled up to the docks, she had been even more confused. 

“Is this the part where you finally defeat the capitalist menace?” She asked the pair. 

“You’re safe,” Cec smiled. 

“For now,” Bert added darkly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

Phryne raised her chin in defiance when she saw a familiar silhouette approaching the car. 

“You’re all in this together, I see,” she called loudly enough for Jack to hear her.

“Right this way, Miss Fisher,” he greeted, unswayed by her cross mood. Instead of his usual professional attire, he was dressed in his summer casual wear, sleeves rolled up his forearms and looking so downright irresistible that she temporarily hated him for it. 

She stepped out of the car and followed Jack down the dock. 

“Where are we going?” 

"Shh," he refused to tell her as a small but beautiful wooden yacht lay at the end of the dock.

She stopped in her tracks, refusing to continue. 

"What did you do?" She suddenly wondered if he had purchased the thing. He would be just the type to live an outwardly stoic life all the while having a secret hoard of cash reserved for no particular reason. Then she remembered that he had already spent it on a trip to England and she relaxed a little. 

“You wanted a quiet birthday, didn't you? What’s more quiet than the middle of the ocean?” He asked rhetorically. 

She felt her defenses melt as she realized that he had gotten her precisely what she wanted.

“What do you think? Shall we take her out?” He asked seriously, only a hint of a dare in his eyes.

She took in the image he made, standing on a dock, asking her to sail off into the sunset alone together. If she could have shown this image to them that day they first met, neither one would have believed it. 

She hooked a finger in the neckline of his sweater and slowly pulled him closer before kissing him in gratitude. 

“Is that a yes?” He squinted, pretending to be unsure.

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes," she answered properly.

“Permission to come aboard?” Jack called out behind him, never taking his eyes off her. 

“Permission granted,” a man behind him smiled. “Welcome aboard.” 

OOOOO

The crew dropped anchor just as the sun was beginning to meet the sea and then disappeared below deck to give them some privacy.

Phryne and Jack stood tucked against each other, watching the golden sky disappear into darkness.

“What a beautiful night,” Phryne sighed as she looked over the calm water. 

“It is,” he agreed as two flutes of champagne appeared as if on command. Jack took the drinks from the crew member with his thanks and Phryne smiled as he disappeared silently below deck as if he had never been seen.

“How did you manage this?” She questioned as she took a flute of champagne from him.

“You’re a very well-known and well-connected woman, Miss Fisher,” he reminded her as he held her by the waist. “And when wealthy people get a call from the authorities on your behalf, they tend to be very cooperative. One would almost think that they had something to hide,” he commented dryly.

“Clever man,” she praised. 

“I learned from the best,” he toasted her. "Happy birthday." 

"Thank you." She raised her glass before taking a sip. She looked out over the dark water and sighed. She heard nothing except the waves lapping gently against the boat. The man beside her was as still as he ever was but she felt his ever-present gaze on her. 

"How are you feeling tonight?" She asked, changing the subject before she could dwell too long on her own sadness. “I would have understood if you had wanted to be alone yourself this week.” 

“That’s the last thing I wanted,” Jack shook his head, disagreeing with her assessment. “No,” he exhaled, “I kept myself away from you for two years, I’ve no interest in doing it now that I finally have you beside me,” he replied honestly. 

She took another sip of her drink, contemplating his words as the stars began to appear above them.

“You know, I don't think it was an accident that you found your sister at the same time that my divorce came through,” he stated thoughtfully. “I think that the universe was putting the past behind us so that we could start something new. Together.”

Phryne paused and looked at him in surprise. 

“That’s quite romantic,” she commented, furrowing her eyebrows at the unusual notion.

“Is it?” He asked, playing naive but secretly reveling in her compliment. 

“Mm. As is this setting,” she commented as she put her arms around his neck. 

“It is rather nice," he agreed. His hand found the small of her back and rubbed it gently, encouraging her to lean closer and kiss him. She didn't mind making him wait. 

"Champagne, starlight, warm ocean breeze. Do you have any other birthday presents for me up your sleeve?" She asked. 

"Up my sleeve?” He raised his eyebrow. “No," he shook his head definitively and she smiled as she pulled the champagne out of his hand and set it aside.

“What about in your pockets?” She wrapped herself around him again.

“Getting warmer,” he grinned as they finally kissed. He guided her down into the deck chair behind her, kissing her all the way. 

“How warm am I now?” She asked as she raised her hips, rutting against him.

“Warm,” he agreed with a nod before burying his grin in her chest. “Maybe too warm,” he stole a glance towards the stairs to the cabin, where he knew the crew sat below. 

“I feel as though I don’t have your full attention, Inspector,” she teased. 

He shot her a glare that told her he didn’t appreciate being stolen from before reaching over to pull a wool blanket off the chair beside them. He covered their bodies with it and once free from any possible prying eyes, unbuttoned his trousers and gave her his _full_ attention.

She stretched as he filled her and she bit back a moan as her muscles closed around him, wanting him to stay. He moved slowly, stoking a fire that he had no intention of putting out until she was shaking beneath him and he was the one biting back his moan. He came quietly, his panting barely audible over the lapping waves against the side of the yacht. 

"I love you," she whispered in his ear as he gathered his wits. 

He pulled away just enough to see the affection in her gaze before kissing her.

"Happy birthday," he whispered.


	22. Museum

Phryne paused at the doorway to the wing. Jack was staring at a piece of artwork lying in the case intently, his thoughtful features on display as a piece of art unto themselves. His brow was furrowed, his lips pursed. She felt her heart warm in her chest as the feelings she felt for him flooded her senses. It had been 36 hours and she still hadn’t adapted to the fact that he’d followed her to London. Then again, he’d always been too complicated to place in a singular box and he'd told her that from the beginning. He was intelligent and analytical, but he had a heart the size of the ocean. He was sinfully attractive, although too humble to use it to his advantage. He was as upstanding and righteous as any man alive, but when he looked at her, the only laws that mattered were the ones that they both agreed to. 

She took a single step into the room and he sensed her presence immediately, looking up. His pleased smile at simply seeing her enter the room sent a rush of heat spreading throughout her body. Was she blushing? She couldn't tell. 

"You made it," he murmured, extending a hand towards her as she walked towards him. 

"I would hope so. You've been here for three hours," she informed him and he looked down at his watch in surprise. "And for future reference,” she leaned in close, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering in his ear, “if lunch with my mother ever goes that long again, you should open an investigation because one of us will have found a way to end it.” 

"Ah," he nodded with a sheepish smile, taking the note gracefully. “I must have lost track of time.” 

"It’s a big place,” she excused, understanding why. “You liked this one," she commented as she drew his attention back to the print in the case. 

"What can I say? I have a growing appreciation for a man’s desire to travel halfway around the world just to be beside his lover," Jack teased as she realized what had captured his attention. 

"The Death of Mark Antony?" She disapproved. "Where is the painting of all of the sumptuous luxury and the torrid sex? That is the painting I want to see," she looked around the room for more options.

"Painting requires sitting still. You can’t expect a man to lay beside his beautiful, naked Queen for hours on end and not have his way with her. Impossible." Jack shook his head. "I can barely keep my hands off of you fully-clothed," he whispered teasingly in her ear.

Every nerve in her body reacted at once at the confession and she smiled slowly as she turned around. 

“Sounds serious,” she murmured, her gaze catching on his mouth as it fought to keep still. 

“It is,” he promised. He looked over her head, checking the room for invaders and spies before coming in closer. He gave her a kiss full of sensational promise before extracting himself from her embrace and leaving her wanting. 

He casually strolled towards the next room, hands in pockets, as she stood there dumbstruck.

She let out a small huff of indignation, catching the attention of the guard, before she came to her senses. 

“Is everything alright, Miss?” He asked and an opportunity arose.

"Excuse me, I'm feeling quite faint, would you happen to know of a private place where I might…" she pitched forward into his arms, pretending to grow weak.

“Phryne?” Jack rushed to her side, seeing her stumble.

"Of course, right this way, Miss," the man led her and Jack into a small meeting room and set her down at the table. He poured her a glass of water and she sipped it daintily. 

"Phryne, are you alright?" Jack looked concerned. 

"Yes, much better,” she assured him before turning to the security guard. "You've been so kind. I don't want to keep you from your very important duties. We'll be fine. Won't we, Inspector?" She used his title with a meaningful look, simultaneously conveying his rank to the young guard and a hint to Jack to play along.

"Yes, thank you," Jack agreed hesitantly, picking up her clues as he shook the man’s hand.

"If you need anything else, I'll be just down the hall," he offered. "Miss. Inspector." He tipped his hat and left them alone. 

"Finally," Phryne whispered as she gave up the act.

"What are you…?" 

She didn’t let him finish, kissing him with every ounce of desire she’d held for him.

“I procured us a room,” she smirked proudly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Phryne,” he shook his head but she kissed his neck and he wavered with a small groan. 

“We’ll be quick,” she assured him as she nibbled on his ear. 

“No,” he laughed as he pulled her arms off of him. “Not here.” 

“I thought that you couldn’t keep your hands off of me?” She pouted and it broke him. He started chuckling and he kissed her sweetly, trying to wipe the scowl off her face. 

“As true as that is, and as much as I appreciate your convincing theatrics, I’m not going to take you up on your offer,” he smiled, cupping her face briefly before letting her go. 

“And why not?” She folded her arms petulantly, suddenly wondering if she had lost her touch. No man had ever denied her as much as he had and she was starting to take it personally. 

“Because, I did not travel halfway across the world to have some quick fling hidden away in the back room of a museum.”

“Well then, why did you come?!” She asked.

Jack considered her for a long moment, letting her realize what she had just asked him and she covered her face with her hands as embarrassment took over. When she peeked through her fingers, his frown of a smile was on his face.

He took a step forward.

“You think that because I don’t want to take you right here on this table that I don’t want you,” he acknowledged as he pulled her hands down from her face. “But that’s not true,” he informed her. “I meant what I said earlier. I want you all the time but I also love you."

“You do?” She wasn’t entirely surprised by his declaration but he hadn’t come right out and told her yet. 

"Yes,” he nodded, interlocking their hands. “Which means that I want more than ten minutes in this room. I want the time to kiss every bit of skin that I reveal as I undress you," he counter-offered. "I want to feel your pulse quicken under my mouth. I want to lay you down on your cool silk sheets and watch your breasts pebble and then warm them with my mouth again." He took a step closer, bringing their hands behind his back. She took the hint, wrapping her arms around his waist. He did the same, placing soft kisses along her jaw and neck.

"I want to find every spot inside of you that makes you cry out with need and I want to stroke each and every one of them with my fingers, and then my tongue, and then my cock,” he whispered, nibbling on her ear. “I want to feel you coming around me and know that I am the reason. God, I want so much more than a quick fuck in a museum, Phryne," he practically growled with a strange mix of frustration and desire.

Her breathing was shallow, her cheeks were flushed, and her pulse was pounding in her cunt when he took a step back again. 

"So,” he cleared his throat, “until you can find the time to fit me in properly, I'll be in the Egyptian wing,” he decided. 

She grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks.

He looked down at her hand on his arm and looked back to her, silently asking what she wanted. 

"Compromise: You can have the next 18 hours if you give me the next two minutes," she offered. 

He considered her carefully.

She silently held up two fingers before closing them together, telling him what she wanted. 

“Two minutes?” He flashed his own two fingers, doubting she could get what she wanted in two minutes. He didn’t know that she was about to combust. 

“Two,” she agreed and he closed his fingers in agreement. 

"But I'm timing you," he warned with an exasperated smile as she began unbuttoning her trousers.


	23. Roof

If there was anything Phryne prided herself on, it was wearing down the Inspector. Whether it was causing trouble on a case or keeping him busy in her bed, she loved nothing more than when he let his guard down and collapsed into a snoring heap beside her. But there were nights when even her shenanigans couldn’t keep him asleep. 

Jack never spoke of why he slipped from her bed and snuck off in the middle of the night. It didn’t seem to have any connection to their work or his personal life and he never seemed to be bothered by it. In fact, he’d told her once that it was why he was so well-read, despite his long work hours. 

But tonight, when she turned over and found him missing, something moved her to go find him. She slipped her robe over her naked body and tiptoed through the house looking for him, only becoming concerned when she saw the door to the rooftop stairs ajar. She glanced around before climbing the stairs and emerging into the humid night air. 

He was lying on a picnic blanket, his pillow under his head, looking up at the sky.

"Miss Fisher," he acknowledged, never looking over.

She smiled to herself, long past being surprised by his ability to sense her presence but still secretly thrilled by it. 

She made her way quietly over and laid down beside him, not asking any of the questions whirling in her mind.

“Wait for it,” he murmured softly, his voice warm against her skin. 

Her implicit trust in him paid off when she gasped.

"Meteors," she sighed as she realized that stars were intermittently falling through the sky. "They're beautiful." She felt his gaze and it reminded her of the last time that she had seen a falling star. "Do you remember…?"

"Three years ago, almost to the day." 

She turned onto her side, surprised by his precision.

"It preceded a rather memorable request on an airfield," he explained. 

She smiled and shook her head at his stellar memory, recalling the kiss in her mind's eye. 

"I have one more, if you're interested," she offered.

"And what's that, Miss Fisher?"

"Let me show you the stars," she whispered dramatically in his ear with a grin. 

He laughed at her ridiculous attempts to live inside a romance novel but let her sneak her hand into his pajama pants and pull him out.

He hummed in approval as she moved down his body and took him in her mouth. 

Much like Jack's mind, his body was wide awake and alert, immediately lengthening and hardening as she suckled on him until Jack was straining to keep from thrusting upwards.

She pulled away, letting the night air cool him down as her fingertips danced over top of his hot flesh. 

"Phryne," he exhaled, his nerves going haywire.

She kissed him as she stroked him, letting him taste himself on her tongue.

"I want to be inside you," he murmured against her mouth. "Take me inside you."

She did as she was commanded, pressing her wet core over him and taking him in slowly.

He pulled at her sash and her robe fell open and he pressed a hand against her back, pulling her close enough to kiss her breasts.

They were unrushed, leisurely taking their time as they made love under the stars. She whispered his name before coming with a gasp and he came with her, stoically silent. 

When she looked down at him again, he had a satisfied smile on his face.

"What are you thinking?" She asked curiously. 

"That I should charge you with public indecency," he teased as he pulled her fallen robe back over her shoulders.

She laughed and kissed him.

"Will you come back to bed with me?" She asked. 

He nodded. 

"What brought you up here in the first place?" She asked as she extricated herself from him.

"I like it up here," he defended as they redressed. "It's quiet."

She knew that her bedroom at 3 am wasn't particularly loud so she assumed that he was referring to his own mind. That brain that whirred with a thousand thoughts per second, that could read clues and analyze them before other men even noticed it, that devoured cultural materials and quoted them back to her, that had seen no end of horrors.

"Then it's all yours, whenever you need it," she allowed as they headed back for the stairs. 

And the next time Jack climbed the stairs to the roof with his trusty blanket in tow, he was greeted with an entire wicker furniture set: a sofa, two chairs, and coffee table.

He laughed at her surprise before sitting on the sofa. He put his feet on the coffee table, threw his blanket over his legs, and looked up.


	24. Island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas Eve Day! We're back on Phryne's holiday island this year. For the series of Christmas vacations, see Chapter 25 of Sizzlin' Seasons Greetings and then Chapter 24 of Holiday Heat. You can find those stories by clicking on the Christmas Phrack series link above!

When Jack awoke, Phryne was standing at the balcony, watching the ocean. The warm breeze was fluttering the sheer curtains around and she looked ethereal in the early morning light. He pushed his pillow up under his head a little higher so he could get a better view of her but she turned around at the sound.

“Good morning,” she greeted him.

“Morning.” He smiled sleepily. “No, don’t move,” he requested as she tried to return to bed. “You’re perfect right there.” 

She looked surprised by the compliment, but turned and posed for him, setting her gaze back on the water. 

“How’s this?” She asked, never looking back. 

“You’ve done this before,” he recalled all of the men who had painted her in the past. “You’re a natural.” 

She beamed with pride before turning around to face him. 

“You’re a sight yourself.” She walked slowly towards the bed. 

“Thoroughly bedded at least,” he groaned as he stretched. 

“Well, I’d paint you,” she decided as she sat down beside him. 

“Kiss me instead,” he requested. She smiled and let him pull her close by her neck. She kissed him sweetly and when he released her again, he sank into the bed, happily relaxed. 

“Admit it, buying this place was a great investment,” she whispered as she lay back down beside him, laying her arm across his torso.

“I find that it’s in my best interest to support your more… hedonistic endeavors,” he ran his fingertip over her arm, “so if you want an entire island solely for taking your holidays, I won’t stop you,” he promised. 

“Hedonistic? This entire island is only half the size of Aunt P’s estate,” she defended. “I would have spent more on a vacation home in the country.”

“My mistake,” he apologized. “Congratulations on your frugality."

"Apology accepted." She smiled. "You know, you have hedonistic tendencies yourself, Inspector," she reminded him.

"I am fully aware," he agreed as his cock began to stir, knowing what she had in mind.

"It's Christmas, after all and I owe you a gift. And out here, all alone, there are no laws, so request is ever denied."

"No?" He smiled.

"So, the only question left, Jack, is what would you like?" 

Immediately, his mind went blank. He couldn't think of a single thing he wanted. Years of fantasizing about her and when asked directly, nothing came to mind.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, a chuckle escaping him. 

"Have you ever had someone inside you?" She asked, offering an idea.

"You mean…"

"Yes," she smiled.

"No." Did his voice sound hoarser than normal? He could blame that on the sleep.

"I'm told it's extremely pleasurable," she stated non-judgmentally. "Or perhaps you'd like to invite someone else to join us? I have a variety of friends who would love to…"

"Phryne, one idea at a time," he stopped her and she fell silent.

"How would that… work?" He asked quietly, fighting a blush.

"We could start with fingers, either yours or mine, and if you enjoy it, there are toys to try as well. It's not any different from you pleasuring me," she assured him.

"It's a little different," he argued.

"It isn't. You know when you crook your fingers just right and I start to quake?"

"Yes," he licked his lips. 

"I could return the favor," she suggested. 

The idea had him hard, and terrified, and curious.

"You've done this before?" 

"Yes, it's quite common, although no one would confess to it for obvious reasons." She gave him a look like he had personally written the law and he sighed.

"Alright," he agreed. 

"Really?" She looked so delighted, he had to kiss her.

"Be gentle with me," he requested and she nodded furiously. 

"Lay back and relax," she instructed as she left him to go rummaging through her case.

Easier said than done, he thought as he did as he was told. 

She came back with lubricant and coated her fingers with the stuff. 

He flinched as her finger passed over her target, readying him before adding more.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, but just say the word and we stop," she reminded him. 

He nodded and she smiled.

"Now kiss me," she pulled him against her so that their chests were pressed together.

That he had no problem doing. He got a little lost in the taste of her and she felt her fingertip start to slide over him, teasing him externally. She bit at his lip and he groaned. While he was distracted, one finger slipped inside him gently.

She stilled, letting him adjust.

"Alright so far?" She asked and he nodded and went back to kissing her when her finger went further and nudged at something that made him instantly moan.

"Found it," she grinned.

'It' was within reach of her fingers and felt like pouring petrol on his nervous system. 

She pulled her finger out, lubed it again and this time added a second finger, watching him carefully for a reaction. 

He broke out in a sweat as he simply nodded.

"More," he begged.

She turned him over onto his back and raised his legs to her shoulders and began to thrust against the hidden spot inside him.

Warmth filled him from head to toe as she pumped pleasure through his veins. He began moaning gibberish as she worked faster but despite the new and astonishing sensations, his cock felt strangely forgotten. He gripped it tight, massaging it as she worked him over from behind. 

"Fuck, Phryne, fuck!" He called before a roar tore from his lungs with a final deep thrust and he clenched around her fingers, hot streams of cum shooting onto his stomach as he lost consciousness. She removed herself from him but he barely registered the loss. 

When she came back, she brought warm water and a towel and cleaned him up. 

He felt physically spent and his muscles were useless.

"That was..." he shook his head. "Thank you."

"Not bad for your first time, eh?" She inquired cheekily. "Now that we know that you like it, we can experiment. I usually do it doing oral sex but who knows what we'll discover together."

His entire body quivered at the idea of her sucking him off while inside him.

"I don't know if I'll survive it," he warned.

"Something tells me that you're willing to risk it," she smiled as she carried her things back to the bathroom.

She wasn't wrong. 


	25. Tent

“Tired of me already, Inspector?” She asked as she caught him staring off into the dim corner of the candle-lit tent. 

He cracked a small grin at her question as she finished chewing her khobz, nonplussed by his tired face. They had been wandering Marrakech all day before leaving tomorrow for Cairo and they were both ready for the meal and pile of pillows awaiting them in their tent. 

“I was thinking about how different today was from the last time that I was in Africa,” he confessed. 

“Better, I hope.” She raised her brow.

“The first time that I left Australia, I wasn’t naive exactly, I understood what I was agreeing to, but it was also thrilling. I had read so much about the world and this was my chance to finally see it,” he confessed. 

Phryne nodded in agreement, remembering the feeling well. 

“I didn’t know that by the time that I finally got to those places, there wouldn’t be anything left to see.” 

Phryne watched him get lost in a memory and she reached out for his hand, wanting to keep him from whatever was pulling him away. He gave it over to her with a small look of gratitude.

“When I returned home, I thought that I would stay there for the rest of my life. I never wanted to leave the safety of that island ever again.”

Phryne felt her throat beginning to tighten but she swallowed, fighting off the emotion. If Jack’s experience was true, which of course, it was, then the fact that he had come after her meant even more than even she’d realized. 

“But then I met this woman,” he tugged on her hand to come closer and she moved towards him. “And she was my antithesis in every way.”

“Not _ every _ way,” she protested as she settled on her side between his legs. 

“Everything that she did captivated me,” he murmured as he played with her hair, running it through his fingers. “She had seen what I had seen, but she moved freely through the world all the same. She had an endless amount of persistence in the face of tragedy. She laughed when she should cry and danced when she should collapse and I found myself moving closer to her just to figure out how she did it. I moved closer and closer until I followed her right off of the continent," he smiled. 

"Was it painful?" She asked sincerely.

"No," he shook his head. "The thought of being without her was far worse than any bad memories."

She placed her hand on his chest, touched by his words. 

"And seeing the world through her eyes gave me a perspective that I never would have seen on my own. She sees the beauty and wonder in the world, gravitates towards things that I would normally walk right by. She investigates the good and not just the bad. I had forgotten how to do that," he admitted. "You changed my life, Phryne."

"Jack," she felt the bridge of her nose tingle as she sat up to look into his serene eyes. "I love you." 

He nodded, wiping a stray tear from her cheek before kissing her sweetly. He confessed his love between kisses, in soft, low tones that had her shivering with desire.

She could sense his surprise when she backed away from him, feeling the loss at once, but she wanted to undress for him. She took her clothes off methodically and slowly, letting him watch each individual button pop.

When she was fully naked, she removed his braces and undid the buttons of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She felt each muscle of his torso as she slid his undershirt up his body and over his head. 

Jack cooperated, watching her work as she caressed his bronze skin, leaving kisses across his chest as she pushed him backwards to claim his trousers. 

When she finally had him naked, he pulled her down to join him and turned her onto her back. 

He moved between her thighs, putting her legs on his shoulders and exploring her with his tongue. The silk beneath her caressed her as Jack's hands and tongue did the same. In no time at all, she was rolling through her first climax. 

As soon as she opened her eyes, Jack was sliding inside her body, groaning in pleasure as she took him completely. She wrapped her legs around him, holding him there to feel her completely and he stared down at her in wonder.

"You're absolutely perfect," he praised. "Every time, perfect." He began to thrust slowly, kissing her in encouragement. He did this for what felt for hours, continually building pressure inside her but never picking up speed and never releasing her from his attention. 

Her entire body was straining as she clutched at his back.

"Please, Jack," she cried, frantic for release. "Please, I need to, oh god," she begged as he sucked on her nipple. 'I'm so close," she writhed.

The man had the audacity to smirk before setting his hand between them and  _ finally _ thrusting hard and fast, breaking her almost instantly.

She cried with relief, chanting his name as unending pleasure coursed through her for minutes. He never stopped, wanting to wring every ounce of orgasm from her. And he did.

When she was completely spent, she realized that he was still somehow hard inside her.

"Jack," she frowned. 

"I'm alright," he smiled at her concern. "Take your time."

She pulled away from him and turned over onto her knees. She pressed herself against his body as his hands came around her to fondle her breasts.

He kissed her neck greedily and she smiled at his eagerness. 

"Take me, Jack. Take what's yours," she encouraged, running her hand up the back of his head before stretching forward before him. His hands held her hips as her breasts met the silk pillows beneath her and pebbled with arousal. She stretched her hands out, the cool material soothing her flushed skin and she knew that despite her exhaustion, she could absolutely come again. 

Jack pressed into her tight body slowly, this time for his own benefit, swearing as he realized how snug she was in this position. 

"Phryne," he hissed.

"Yes, Jack," she agreed. "I feel it too," she promised. "So good, so right. Don't stop."

He began a steady pace, ready to explode inside her. She felt him deep inside her and she put her hand on her clit and rubbed, focusing on the man behind her who had just claimed her as his own.

"Yes, Jack. Yes. Oh, fuck me," she begged. "I love you. God, I love you. Don't stop. Yes, take me just like this. Harder, harder, I'm going to come again for you. Jack, Jack!" 

He shattered inside her, crying out as he did and that was all it took. She came with a small shudder, her body unable to produce much else.

They fell into one another's embrace, panting in a sweaty heap of bonelessness.

Jack turned her over to spoon her, placing a kiss to her temple. She clutched his bicep in gratitude She closed her eyes, knowing that when they awoke in the morning, he would still be right behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for participating, for reviewing, for coming back day after day, year after year, to read this fic series. I couldn't do it without you. I look forward to 2020 and the new material that we're all going to have to play with! Happy holidays!


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